TMNT 2012: No Love is Greater
by Sesshomarusama3
Summary: What if Hamato Yoshi didn't leave Japan right away, and found four baby turtles abandoned in the forest? What if one of the four mutated brothers had lost their way and run into another larger mutant? This is the story of what if a certain tiger mutant had raised his own turtle son, and how that turtle had to choose between two families. (I OWN NOTHING, AU FIC, R&R and Enjoy!)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello there! This is my first ever AU fic. Just something I wanted to do ever since I saw a post on Tumblr with tiger claw with a baby Leo, and I was sold!**

**So here we go with my first ever AU! I OWN NOTHING!**

**R&R and Enjoy!**

* * *

**TMNT 2012: No Love is Greater**

**Chapter 1**

**_"_****_No love is greater than that of a father for His son." _**

**_― _****_Dan Brown, Angels & Demons _**

* * *

There were things in this world, Hamato Yoshi mused, that made living in it, the task of even opening your eyes in the morning, almost unbearable. He was even surprised that he had gotten this far to begin with. The wound was still very fresh in his heart, the wound unable to heal or even close. But even so, he allowed himself to open his eyes and get out of bed, sighing as he looked out of the window, the sun shining brightly over the tall buildings and fields that covered the land of Japan.

It had already been a year. A whole year since his family, his beloved wife Tang Shen, and his beautiful baby daughter Miwa, were taken away from him. He had been a fool. A complete and utter fool. He should have known that the fires of hatred would still burn in the heart of his old friend, Oroku Saki. He should have known that those flames would be unleashed in a vengeful attack in the night, dismantling the walls of his life that would fall and crumble around him, burn everything he knew and loved, until only the ashes of what once was a happy life remained.

But despite the pain he felt every day, Hamato Yoshi didn't leave Japan. He couldn't simply leave the land that held so many memories for him. And he couldn't leave her grave to simply sit there, unvisited, unadorned with the flowers that she loved since they first met.

Letting out another sigh, he got out of bed, bathed and dressed himself, and then headed out of his apartment. Trying to rebuild his old home was useless; it had been burned to a crisp. Nothing out of the wreckage survived the flames…and neither did they.

He walked down the busy streets, filled with people moving on with their daily lives, and unaware of others. He didn't blame them. It was humanity. He carried on through the ever moving roads of Tokyo until he reached his destination; the local florists. They sold good quality flowers at a low price, which was good for him; he had very little money left until he could find himself another job.

After purchasing the flowers he wanted and having them neatly wrapped up so they wouldn't blow away in the wind, Yoshi slowly made his way downtown, not bothering to call for a taxi to take him as he preferred to walk; it allowed him to think about things more clearly…like what he was going to do when he got home…what he was going to do for the rest of his life…without them?

After about an hour, he finally reached the cemetery. He gazed at all of the graves that surrounded him. Those poor souls. Many of them had left this world far too early, and all would be dearly missed by the ones they had left behind. He sent them all a silent prayer.

He continued down the path, not stopping until he was standing in front of them; the grave stones of Tang Shen, and his little Miwa.

When the firemen had finally arrived along with the police and an ambulance, they had been unable to find the body of the baby, assuming that she had perished in the flames. However, Tang Shen had died in his very arms. She was the only one that had been buried beneath the earth, surrounded by friends and family, including himself.

Watching them lower her coffin into the earth, the knowledge that he would never see her beautiful face, hear her laughter, or kiss her sweet lips ever again, killed him inside. Even with all the training he possessed as a warrior, as a fearsome, skilled ninja of the Hamato Clan, he couldn't save the two most precious things in his life…

Clearing his throat to force back the growing lump, he knelt down before the graves, and placed the flowers down carefully. Then he closed his eyes and put his hands together, praying silently. He prayed that they had peace wherever they were…and he prayed that, if fate would permit it, they would all meet again someday.

A single tear rolled down his cheek as he opened his eyes once again, staring one last time at the twin graves.

He hoped the fates would be kind to all of them, whatever the future had in store.

* * *

Instead of going back through the city, Yoshi decided that he would clear his mind and walk through the forests instead. The forest was dense, yes, but it was also very peaceful, filled with flourishing flowers and flowing streams nearby, which was where he decided to stop and rest as he sat at the edge of a little stream, where a waterfall flowed by the edge of a cliff. He took a deep breath through his nose, and left it out in his first content sigh in a year.

Hardly anyone ever came through here, one reason being that the path was long overgrown and hard to move through without getting covered in mud, or bitten by bugs, but that bothered Yoshi not, for he had trained in these very forests with his own master. Another reason no one ventured down here was due to the rumour that had been floating around recently about there being strange activity going on there, with the sounds of machines and strange lights flashing through the trees at nights when no one was around. Most claimed that it was the work of secret agents, or even aliens, but Yoshi, of course, didn't believe a word of that nonsense.

However, there was one thing that had him ever so slightly on the edge. There were other rumours about some kind of wild creature that lived around the area, one that resembled the body of a cat, but stood tall and fearsome like a man. He had heard of spirits before, but never had he actually seen one in the flesh. Now he actually wondered…were those tales true?

Something splashed in the waters. He looked up sharply from where he sat on the rock near the water's edge, and he eyed it suspiciously. Was it the so-called creature that lived here? Had it spotted him?

To his surprise, he found not a large cat creature, but a tiny baby turtle paddling towards the shore, climbing up onto the dirt as it padded towards where he sat, stopping just before his feet as it stared up at him, tilting its little head in curiosity. Yoshi blinked once, and he couldn't fight the small smile that finally seemed to tug at his lips as the little turtle nibbled at his shoelaces. "Why, hello there little one," he cooed, leaning forward to scoop the terrapin into his palm carefully as he brought it close to his face (praying that it wasn't a snapping turtle!), and he found himself staring into a pair of beautiful, reddish brown eyes. Who knew that turtles' eyes could be such a colour? How very unusual.

He rubbed the top of the turtles' head, his small smile growing when the little one leaned into his touch. "Well, aren't you a unique little turtle?" he chuckled, "Most creatures would have run away long ago at the sight of a human…hm?"

He noticed with a start that there was a little tag attached to its left hind leg, one that read in small Japanese print; 'Fresh Water Turtle, Pet Store'.

He frowned. So this turtle had come from a pet store? Either it had escaped, or some cruel person had decided that it would be humours to flush the poor creature down the toilet. He hoped it was the former.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the sounds of grunts and hisses below him, and he looked back down to find that there was another turtle stood at his feet. It seemed to glower at him as he held the other turtle, and it stamped its foot. Yoshi nearly laughed; it was telling him to put the turtle he held back down. He also noticed that the angry turtle also had a tag on its foot. Ah, so they were siblings possibly?

"Alright then, I'll release your…brother," he guessed with a smile, carefully setting the brown-eyed one next to the angry one, who immediately began to bite the other one playfully. Yoshi smiled warmly at the sight, and reached down to gently tap the angry one on the head, nearly losing the tip of his finger in the process, but that only made him chuckle again.

He heard splashes again in the water, and he saw two more turtle emerge from the crystal depths, a larger one nudging the smaller one up the muddy ramp as they scuttled over to where the other two turtles played near the human. The one that had helped the small turtle looked up at Yoshi, and continued to stare, as if into his very soul.

Yoshi stared at him for a time as well, until he felt something touch his shoe, and he looked down to find the smallest of the turtles attempting to climb up his leg, and he put up a very valiant effort too, until he fell onto his shell, wriggling his little feet in the air as they did in cartoons. Yoshi shook his head with another chuckle. "Here you go," he said as he gently picked him up and placed him back on his feet again, much to his delight.

Yoshi cracked another bigger smile this time as the staring turtle licked his finger, almost as if he was saying 'thank you for helping him'. "You are most welcome," he said.

Yoshi sat back as he watched the four curious creatures play together, his soul feeling lighter than it had in a year. He looked up at the sky which was slowly turning dark now as the sun began to set, making room for the moon and the stars to appear in its place. It surprised him that even the smallest of things could somehow bring him out of the brink of darkness, and back into the light. And it so happened to be four, strange little turtles that had been able to do that for him, even if it was only for a little while…

Wait…maybe it didn't _have_ to be a little while…maybe he could take these little ones back with him, give them a proper home with him instead of living out here in the forest alone. They were only infant turtles, and being born in a pet shop, they would surely not survive. Of course it might be a bit of a burden to contain them and feed them as they continued to grow…but it would be worth it.

He just knew it.

A twig snapped nearby. Yoshi jerked his head upwards sharply, and he scanned the forest surroundings. "Who is there?" he called, narrowing his eyes as he raised his hands out of pure instinct. A ninja was always on his guard, no matter what. He had learned now to never let his down again, lest what happened a year ago happen once again.

He looked deeper through the trees, and as he squinted his eyes in the gloom, he swore that he could just catch a glimpse of something glowing in the darkness of the dense trees…and it was green. Just what on earth…?

He heard more soft noises behind him, and he turned again, only to step on a large rat that scampered by, and it let out a loud squeak of pain before it continued on its way. Yoshi watched it go for a moment, before a voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Stay where you are. Go no further. This place is a place where you are not allowed to be in this place."

Yoshi turned sharply to find two men, both dressed in business suits and both of them with identical, cold, almost lifeless faces as they drew nearer to him, raising their hands into threatening, crooked claws.

One of them was holding a large green canister filled with a glowing green substance that Yoshi couldn't identify, but in all honesty, he didn't want to.

Startled, he took a step backwards, being careful of the baby turtles behind him as he glared at the offending men that had suddenly appeared from out of nowhere. Who were they? What did they want? What were they doing in the forest? And…why were they talking like that?

"We have been seen in this place by you, so this not a place that will be left by you."

He let out a gasp as he turned around again only to find that there were two more men that looked exactly alike in appearance, and in the way they spoke. They were drawing closer to him as well, with one of them reaching into his suit, supposedly for a weapon.

Yoshi felt his fists tremble. His eyes shot open wide, filled with determination and anger.

He didn't know who these strange men were, but he was not going to let them simply kill him. It was true, he longed to be with his family again…but not like this!

So without warning, he fought back.

* * *

His ear twitched.

He let out a low grumble from his throat as he turned onto his other side, curling in on himself slightly as he continued to snooze in the comforts of the burrow he had dug himself.

It twitched again.

Curse that damn thing sometimes. Both of them seemed to twitch at the slightest sound, be it the wind, the rain, the snapping of a twig under the foot of another animal, and so on. This form of his gave him great advantages, yes, but if there was anything more cumbersome, it was his heightened sense of smell, taste and hearing. They were the most advantageous aspects about his form, yet every time he tried to sleep, right now being an example, his ears would twitch, alerting him of _every single sound_ he heard, no matter what it was. Taste and smell, very well, he could deal with that, but he could only take so much of the sounds. Even though he had lived like this for decades, he still wondered every now and again how normal animals – how normal _tigers_ – ever lasted their entire lives like this.

But it was the sound of a glass shattering, the sound of agonized screaming, and the smell of something he remembered the instant the scent wafted through the air that made his eyes snap open. He turned his head towards the mouth of his little cave, and he peeked through it, his amber eyes adjusting to the darkness quickly as he began sniffing the air again, and his breath hitched as the scent hit his nose again, much stronger this time.

It was there. That horrible smell of the substance that turned him into what he was to this day. Which could only mean one thing.

_They _were here too. And it appeared that they had just found their next victim.

He crawled all the way out of the hole, standing to his full, towering height as he stared into the direction in which the screams had come from, but had now died away. Should he go to investigate? Or should he leave whatever the human had now turned into to his fate? In fact, why was he even debating with himself about this? It shouldn't be his problem on whether or not some human was captured, killed or transformed. He had his own path, the path of the lone warrior, a title he had earned after years of training himself to become stronger, faster, smarter and far more skilled than any warrior in all of Asia, even after living in the slums and shadows of the Criminal Underworld. It was as clear as the belts adorned around his person, the guns that he had stolen at his hips, and the long sabre attached to the straps on his back.

If he had survived, then so could that human.

He turned back to his cave. Even though he hated the creatures that did this to him, it made him twice the man he would have become. Whoever had just suffered that same fate should be proud to be bestowed with new power.

Though he still felt some sympathy for the human. After all, he had once been human too.

He paused just before he entered his cave. "It will take time…but you will get used to it," he said.

Then the tiger retreated into his lair.

* * *

The first thing Yoshi was aware of when he regained consciousness, was that his body _ached_. He hadn't felt pain like this since his training as a younger man, and even then, that was nothing compared to what he felt now.

What happened? He remembered a fight, and then something splashing all over him, then pain, before slipping into darkness…

Groaning as he sat himself up, he put a shaking hand to his head –

That didn't feel like hair _at all._

Quirking a confused brow, he patted his head again, and found nothing but what felt like fur between his fingers. Fur?! His heart picking up speed, he looked at his hand…and he bit back a scream when he found not a human hand, but a _paw_. A four-digit clawed pair of hands had replaced his once human hands, and as he his wide eyes scanned his arms and chest and legs, he realized that they were covered in thick, dark brown fur. His shaking 'hands' then reached up to his face, and he found that he now had a snout of sorts…and were those _whiskers_?

Moving as quickly as he dared, he looked into the river to see what had become of his face…

**_Rat._**

He was a giant mutant _rat._

He scooted away from the waters' edge as he let out a shout, and he held his head in his hands. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be real. It was all some cruel dream, and he would wake up back in his apartment…

_Don't be a fool. You _know _this is real…_

Yoshi felt tears stinging his eyes. He was no longer a human. Whoever those men were had taken his humanity away from him with whatever that strange green substance was…in fact, traces of it were splattered around him on the grass, and not far off was the empty canister.

It was thanks to those men, and that ooze, that Hamato Yoshi was nothing now. He had lost everything; his wife, his daughter, his clan…and now his humanity. What could he possibly do now? He could not return to the city, nor could he stay in the forest where those men could be lurking…

How could he escape this cruel twisted fate of his?

His now giant rat ear twitched on top of his head. Another noise behind him. He twisted himself around to find the source, and his eyes widened.

What on earth…?

The four baby turtles that he had been playing with before his transformation…they had changed as well. They were no longer ordinary baby turtles, but now their bodies had grown twice over. They still retained their turtle bodies, with their hard shelled backs and their green scaly skin, but they now took on the appearance of human infants, probably no older than Miwa had been.

He stared at them in awe as they began to sit up on the grass and crawl on all fours, just as a human baby would. They gurgled and cooed at each other, seemingly amazed themselves at what they looked like now and what they were doing. He looked over at the brown eyed one, the turtle that had first approached him before, and saw that he was staring down at his three fingered palms, turning them over and wriggling his new fingers as he seemed to see how they functioned, before sticking his left hand into his mouth and sucking it. His reddish brown eyes then met Yoshi's, and he stared at him for the longest time, before taking his hand out of his mouth and crawling over to the giant rodent. Yoshi watched him with interest as the little one approached him, and he patted his lap, feeling the new fur on his body.

Despite still being unable to fully process what was happening, despite knowing that his entire life had been turned upside down within the space of a few minutes, Yoshi could not fight the smile that graced his lips as he watched the mutant infant. He seemed to not care about the fact that he was a giant rat, one that could easily tear him apart, though the thought would _never _cross his mind. He was a curious little one, wasn't he? Even before his transformation, he seemed unfazed by the fact that he was a human…

Taking care to not frighten the turtle, he carefully picked him up and sat him on his lap. "Why, hello there little one," he said, just as before when he had come to him the first time.

The brown eyed turtle's eyes seemed to sparkle, and a little toothy smile began to grow. Yoshi noticed that he was actually missing a front tooth; most likely due to something prior to his mutation. And dear lord did it make him look cute, even though he wasn't even human.

The turtle then reached out with his little hands, and touched Yoshi's new rat nose. Yoshi's nose twitched oddly, and he held back the urge to sneeze. The child then reached down and took hold of the rat's hand, bringing it up and turning it over in his own hands, bending each finger and inspecting the claws, which Yoshi watched him do with interest, before the child then stuck his finger into his mouth.

Yoshi actually smirked. "You cannot eat my finger, little one," he cooed, retracting his finger from the child's mouth. He looked up at Yoshi and giggled again.

Yoshi heard a little grunt in front of them, and both he and the turtle in his lap looked to find one of the other baby turtles looking at them. Yoshi noticed that this turtle's eyes had changed; they had once been dark as well, but now they were a piercing emerald green shade, and they seemed to glare right at him from where he sat a few metres away from them.

Still pouting, the green eyed turtle crawled over to Yoshi and Brown Eyed turtle (a nick-name for now) and he stopped just in front of his knees, staring up at the two of them intensely. He let out a little grunt again, and Brown Eyed turtle seemed to understand, slipping off of Yoshi's lap reluctantly. This seemed to please Green Eyed turtle as he then smiled a little, throwing his arms around his neck as he wrestled on the grass with him playfully. Yoshi watched with a small smile. These creatures really were like humans. He wondered why that was. Was it because animals had always possessed human qualities that they never knew about?

He lifted his head up at the sound of whining, and he found that the two blue eyed turtles, with one of them having actual freckles on his cheeks much to Yoshi's shock, were both farther away from where he sat near the water, and the freckled one was starting to cry. The larger dark blue eyed turtle seemed as though he was trying to comfort him, patting his little head with his hand. He then turned to look up at Yoshi, staring at him with a serene look on his face that, admittedly, startled Yoshi. It was as if he was telling him to come over and help, but he was being so calm about it.

Standing up on shaky legs, for he was not yet used to his new body (or the long pink tail that seemed intent on trying to make him trip) he made his way over to the other two turtles and sat down beside them. The freckled one seemed to stop crying at the sight of the giant rat, sticking him thumb into his mouth as he looked up with large baby blue eyes.

Yoshi offered him a smile as he scooped up the child into his arms. "Why the tears, little one? Are you afraid?" he asked.

The freckled one in his arms remained silent for a moment, as if he was being shy, but that was soon replaced by a giant toothy grin that nearly split his face as he began to giggle, burying his face into his furry chest.

That actually brought out a little laugh from Yoshi. "My, aren't you a silly one?" he cooed. He looked up from the laughing one in his arms to the serene turtle who watched them both with a little smile. He fiddled a little where he sat, as if he was itching to join them. Yoshi smiled, opening one arm out to him. "Come here, little one," he said, "I do not bite."

There was hesitation at first, as if the child seemed to think about what to do, before he made up his mind and crawled over to Yoshi, grunting as he climbed up onto his furry lap next to the freckled one. He reached out and patted his chest, where his heart was, and then looked back up at the rat.

He smiled at him.

Yoshi smiled back.

Not long later, Brown Eyed turtle and Green Eyed turtle ended their little wrestling match, and crawled over to Yoshi. Brown Eyes wanted to climb on as well, so the blue eyed one made some room for him to sit as well. Green Eyes was hesitant, but he too eventually decided to join the huddle.

Yoshi wrapped his arms around them all as they huddled close to his chest. Though the air in the forest was cold, the warmth he felt in his heart could not be matched as he gazed down at the four turtle infants, who slowly began to doze off in his arms.

It was clear to him now on what he had to do now. These four turtles – these four _children _– needed him. There was no way he could abandon them now; it would be cruel of him to banish them to such a fate…

It was in that moment that he decided; he would take them with him. No matter where he went, he would make sure that these four babies that had suddenly filled him with light after the darkness would be there with him. He knew it would be hard, raising for children on his own would be one of the hardest things he has ever done, but he could manage. They _would _mange, somehow. They needed shelter, somewhere they could hide away from the disapproving eyes of humans, somewhere safer than a forest filled with strange 'men' that would track them down eventually.

But until then, he would protect them. All of them.

He laid his clawed hand softly on one of their heads. "…you are safe now. I am here…my sons."

* * *

**A/N: There you have it! The first chapter!**

**I hope you keep reading to find out what happends next!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello! Sorry for the long wait! Here is chapter 2! Thanks for all the comments so far!**

**R&R and most of all, Enjoy!**

**EDIT: I SHOULD PROBABLY MENTION THAT TIGER CLAW STILL HAS HIS TAIL! **

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**_"Then love knew it was called love._**

**_And when I lifted my eyes to your name,_**

**_suddenly your heart showed me my way"_**

**_― Pablo Neruda, Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada; Cien sonetos de amor _**

* * *

If Hamato Yoshi was going to live the rest of his life in hiding from the world he had once known, he knew he wouldn't be able to do so without a few essentials from his old home back in the city of Tokyo. Though he knew it was quite a foolish thing to do, especially considering his current form, there were just some things, even as a rat, that he simply couldn't live without.

Then there was the issue concerning the children.

He couldn't simply leave them in the forest on their own; the very reason he had taken them under his care in the first place was to prevent something like that from ever happening. Taking them with him to his old apartment was out of the question as well, for they would be too much of a hassle for him; they could barely even talk as it is, though it surprised him that they were able to start walking so quickly.

Where could he possibly hide them and know that they would stay there and be safe?

Well, to his surprise, the answer would come to him sooner than he had thought, three days after their transformation, when he and his four little boys were exploring the forests that they had come to call home.

For now, that is.

* * *

They had begun to start teaching themselves how to walk properly on their own, stumbling on their own two feet towards Yoshi and to each other, which made the mutant rat smile. However, it was during their little practice that the smallest (and most likely youngest) of the turtles had stumbled on a rock in his path, and he had fallen flat onto his face, scraping his right elbow in the process. He didn't cry at first, but as soon as he had struggled to get into a sitting position and had seen the red fluid dripping from his elbow and trickling down his arm, his big baby blue eyes began to overflow with tears as he began to cry.

From where he stood beside Brown Eyes and his blue eyed brother, Yoshi turned to see Freckles sat on his rear and crying, and was about to rush over to pick him up and heal his hurt, but someone beat him to it. Green Eyes had also seen what had happened, and before Yoshi could move, the little turtle actually _ran _over to him. He had just learned how to walk, so why so suddenly did he start _running_?

As soon as he was beside the crying turtle, Green Eyes sat down on his knees before him and stared at him. Freckles saw him staring, and his crying eased to simple sniffles and hiccups as he rubbed his wet face with the back of his hand. Green Eyes then nodded once before looking at his bleeding right elbow. He gently took it in his little green hands, though it made freckles wince slightly, and he glared at the blood dripping down from the wound. It was only a little cut, but it was enough to make the little one look as if he wanted to hit something. Raising the elbow a little higher, Green Eyes actually licked off the trail of blood, making Yoshi's brow rise in shock and confusion, before Green Eyes then planted a little kiss on the wound.

He lifted his head to look back at Freckles, and he gave him a smile. Freckles sniffled, and then he smiled back. Green Eyes used his hand to wipe away the tears from his little brothers' face, before helping him stand back up again, glaring down at the rock that had made him trip in the first place and kicking it away with an angry grunt in the process. He held his hand as they both toddled over to Yoshi and their brothers.

Yoshi stared at the green eyed little one in wordless surprise, and then a warm smile graced his lips. He bent down and patted his head. "Well done, little one, for looking after your little brother so well," he said fondly, "You are quite the healer, aren't you?"

And then he was granted with another little surprise.

The little turtle finally looked up at him and smiled.

* * *

Throughout the course of the day, Yoshi had been able to identify each of his sons not only by appearance, but by the personalities that he had seen them start to display. Blue Eyes, whom he had deemed the oldest of his brothers, was the calmest out the four, seemingly more mature for his age, and also the most observant; he was always looking back at his brothers ever few minutes, as if he was worried that they would wander off or get hurt, which Yoshi found both admirable and adorable. Green Eyes, the second oldest, was by far the most protective, which he had seen as such on the day of their transformation, and just a few hours earlier when he had rushed over to help Freckles when he was hurt. Freckles was definitely the happiest and most hyperactive of the boys, always bouncing around and giggling at the slightest thing. He even picked up flowers for Yoshi to have, and his hands were already full.

Brown Eyes, Yoshi discovered, was the most curious of his brothers, always wandering farther ahead of the others and stopping to examine his surroundings with immense interest. Still, there were moments where Yoshi would sometimes lose sight of the snooping turtle, and he would have to use his new heightened sense of smell to find him again.

This time however, even his nose couldn't detect the scent of him.

And Yoshi started to panic.

He would have tried calling out to him, but he realized that he had given none of them names. So he resulted in simply picking up the remaining three turtles into his arms and scanning the trees and thick bushes around them, praying that nothing had happened to one of his little ones, not this soon…

As he burst through a thick wall of bushes, Yoshi let out a breath of relief as he finally spotted the olive colored turtle standing only meters in from of him, his shell facing him as he stood there on a long dirt path, sucking on his thumb. The turtle turned around to face Yoshi, who had put his other brothers back on their feet and was about to scold him, but then he pointed his little green finger towards the long dirt path, and Yoshi followed his finger to find that the path led to an old, long abandoned traditional Japanese house, surrounded by trees and bushes. The house actually looked similar to the one that he had once shared with his previous family, only this one was a one-story house with old but fully functional sliding doors.

Yoshi blinked once, and then looked down at the olive turtle, who beamed back up at him.

How did he find this place?

His silent question was never answered as all four turtles began to giggle excitedly and stumble their way towards the house, already climbing up onto the wooden platform and crawling their way inside. Smiling, Yoshi followed them, carefully opening the sliding doors and peering inside the dark room. It was old, dusty, and many areas were in dire need of fixing or replacing, but it was big, very spacious…and judging from the bushes and trees surrounding the area, it was very well hidden. He doubted anyone would think of coming through here. In fact, he doubted anyone actually knew this place existed.

For what seemed like the umpteenth time within the space of a few days, Hamato Yoshi found himself surprised on just how adaptable and strange these four turtles were, and on just how little he knew his own homelands. It was the brown eyed turtles' curiosity that had found them a new place to live instead of simply staying within bushes or abandoned burrows.

He was an intelligent young one, that was certain.

Nodding to himself, he watched as his four little ones played together in what would very soon be their new home.

At least for now.

* * *

Yoshi had thought that putting Miwa to sleep had been a challenge, but he was proven very wrong when after what seemed like an eternity of chasing little turtles around, who seemed to think it was a game of sorts and enjoying watching him chase them, he finally managed to settle the four boys down side by side, fast asleep and wrapped up in an old blanket he had found in one of the closets. He let out a long and tired sigh as he watched the four brothers sleep together peacefully.

It tore him inside to leave them alone, but this was something he knew he had to do. He just couldn't live without something to at least hold on to the last few strings of the fabric of humanity that he had left.

Making sure that his steps were light, he exited the room, shutting the doors behind him and sending up a prayer to whoever was listening in that moment to watch over his sleeping charges as he made his way back into the forests, towards the city that he had left behind.

However, as he left, he couldn't help but feel an odd sensation tingle in the back of his mind…as if someone was watching him. He had been having that same strange feeling ever since their mutation, and he had wondered what it was. Could it have been those strange men that had turned him into what he had become?

Or…was it something else that even he had not been aware of?

* * *

He had been watching him for some time now.

He didn't understand why he was though. He was just another mutant victim of those strange creatures. Maybe it was because of the way he had been able to adapt to his new body and his new twist of fate so quickly…and those little creatures that followed him like sheep.

He had never seen a mutation quite like this before. He figured that it must have been due to some physical contact that the rat must have had with them before their exposure to the ooze, which was why they looked so human. And they seemed so intelligent, especially the little olive coloured turtle that had discovered their current place of hiding. However, that really meant nothing in the grander scheme of things; they were merely nothing but cubs, ignorant little beasties that had no chance of survival. They were so fragile and weak, they would be torn to pieces should they ever be left alone –

Speak of the devil and he shall come.

Hidden in the bushes, the tiger watched in silence as the rat crept out of the old house, turning his head left and right in search for anyone that could be watching, and his ears twitching atop his head, listening to everything around him. The tiger kept completely still. The rat couldn't smell him, for he was still adapting to his new rodent body, and the stripes that patterned his fur coat prevented him from seeing him, but the slightest sound would set him off like a bullet.

After he was sure that no one was there, the rat nodded to himself before he fled back into the forest, moving as silent as a ghost through the bushes.

The tiger watched him leave in confusion. Where did he think he was he going? Why was he just leaving his little cubs in that house alone to fend for themselves? Was he deserting them, or was he simply that much of a fool? Wasn't he aware that there were other creatures in these woods that could smell their reptilian scents from miles away, and wouldn't hesitate to kill and devour them all as soon as they were unguarded?

Including the giant cat himself.

The tiger frowned to himself in thought. Yes, he could just go in there now and rid these turtles himself if he wanted to. After all, with the way they were living, how could they possibly survive? There was no way that they could reveal themselves or walk amongst humanity without being shamed, or even experimented on.

He would be doing them all a favour, sparing them from the hatred of the world by disposing of them himself. He slowly reached for the gun in his belt. He would make it quick, clean and painless.

This was for their own good.

Suddenly, just as his paw touched the handle of his gun, the front door slid open, and the dark blue eyed one stumbled through it, before closing the door again behind him and sitting on the wooden platform, letting his little legs dangle over the edge as he stared in the direction that the rat had left in. He didn't move an inch from where he sat as he continued to stare intently and patiently at the dirt path. The tiger raised a confused brow as he observed him from his hiding place in the bushes. What was the little one trying to do? Was he waiting for his so-called 'father' to return to them? Or…was he actually _guarding_ the house and his siblings from danger? How very strange. This child had far more wisdom than he had thought a boy his age ever could. Not that it would matter; he couldn't defend himself if danger were to come.

He would be dead without ever knowing what hit him.

The blue eyed turtle suddenly turned his head towards the bushes, and his eyes widened a fraction. So did the tiger's as they made eye contact.

The turtle had spotted him.

Neither of them moved at all as they continued to stare at each other. The turtle, though his eyes were afraid, remained as still and calm as a tranquil river, refusing to move from his station in front of the door. The tiger refused to come out of the bushes, as not to alarm him further and make him scream; if the rat heard him from however far off he was, his cover would be blown.

"…boo."

The tiger started. What? Had the turtle just said something to him?

The child then stood up and raised his arms in the air. "…boo. Boo!" he repeated.

The tiger creased his brow further in confusion. "…Boo?" he said. What was he doing? Was he trying to talk to him?

The boy then raised his hands higher above his head, as if he were trying to appear bigger than he actually was, which didn't work at all. "Boo!" he said again, a little louder this time, his face creasing into what was supposed to be a threatening frown, but ended up looking like a childish pout.

It was then that the tiger realized what the turtle was trying to do…and he actually wanted to laugh.

The child was trying to scare him. He was actually trying to _scare him away._

His mouth forming a restrained grin, the tiger cleared his throat to stifle the laugh that threatened to erupt from him, and he stood up from his crouch on the grass, which made the child back away slightly at the sudden movement, making the tiger smirk. "Very well," he said, deciding to humour the child as he gave him a little bow. The sound of his voice shook the turtle a little, but it only made it harder for the tiger not to laugh. "I will leave you and your home alone. You are a very worthy opponent, my little friend."

With that, the tiger turned and walked away, stealing one last look at the little turtle, who hadn't moved from his spot as he watched him leave, and an actual smile finally graced his lips.

He was a brave little one, wasn't he?

* * *

It was nearly dawn when Yoshi returned to the abandoned house, now dressed in a red hakama with dark red flower patterns that he had grabbed from his bathroom; even though he was covered in fur, he still felt very exposed. Sneaking into the apartment had been easier than he had expected. Tokyo was just like any other city; no one really paid any attention to you. Also, y the time he had arrived, it was already very dark despite all the city lights, and with his dark fur, no one even noticed him as he moved through the alleyways and using his claws to scale up the building. As soon as he had entered, he had put on the hakama, and gathered all the things he knew he would need, and taking one last look around him before he made his swift exit.

On his back, he carried a sack full of mere essentials that he would need. As well as another separate bag filled with personal items of his that had miraculously survived the flames…

On his arrival back to the house, he was more than surprised when he saw the blue eyed turtle sprawled out on the platform, his mouth hanging open as he snored lightly. Yoshi stared in puzzlement. Had he been waiting for him to return all this time? How did he even know that he had left? Did he wake up and see him leaving?

Despite the slight fear that the boy could have been spotted by someone or something, Yoshi smiled. It was almost as if the poor boy had stayed up simply to watch out for his sleeping brothers in case there was danger, until his father returned. Such a brave little one, wasn't he?

He shook his head with a smile as he carefully scooped up the sleeping turtle, cradling him in his arms as he opened the doors again, laying him back down under the blankets alongside his brothers. Green Eyes immediately rolled onto his other side and wrapped his arms around his brother's neck in his sleep, which made Yoshi chuckle softly as he watched him snuggle against his bother. Looks like someone had missed his big brother.

Yoshi let out a breath as he sat cross-legged next to his sleeping boys. He opened up one of the bags and unpacked what he had brought; a large multi-coloured blanket that had once belonged to his daughter, his old futon, and something he would treasure for as long as he lived…

A simple black and white photo of himself, Tang Shen, and little Miwa in her arms.

His ears drooped slightly against his head. It was still a miracle that he had been able to carry on after everything that had happened. But then again, he never thought in his entire life that he would be transformed into a giant mutant rat, or come across four baby turtles that would soon become his sons.

Which reminded him. He still needed to name them. But what names could he possibly give them?

A thought clicked into his head as he rummaged once again through his bag until he found what he was looking for, and pulled out, smiling fondly down at it. It was his old book about the great Italian renaissance sculptors and painters. He and Tang Shen had both held a deep passion and respect for these fine artists, and had been one of the main reasons they had been able to bond so well. And he found it very ironic that there were four artists in particular that he had favored the most.

Opening the book, he quickly flipped through the pages, searching for the on that Tang Shen had loved the most. He had been the one that had painted the woman, the Mona Lisa…ah! Here it was. His name was Leonardo Da Vinci, an artist and scientist. Yoshi raised a brow in thought, and then turned to gaze down at the blue eyed turtle that had cuddled up to the green eyed one.

Leonardo. The meaning behind the name Leonardo was 'lion' or 'brave lion'. And it was clear that this little boy had been brave enough that night to stand guard for his family whilst their guardian, their father, was away.

Yoshi smiled, laying a soft hand on top of his head, rubbing his thumb across it in a soothing gesture. "Leonardo…" he whispered. The name was all too perfect for his little brave lion.

Now, for Green Eyes. He already had a good name in mind for him, but he still wanted to flick through the pages just to be sure. He stopped on the page about Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino…

…that was a very long name, too long for a child like him. Fortunately enough, however, the famous painter was better known as simply Raphael. That sounded better.

That name meant 'God has healed'. How perfectly fitting for a little protector like him. But he was by no means simply a gentle one. If someone ever hurt his brothers, he would hurt them twice as much. Nodding to himself, he put his hand over the second turtles' head, who shifted under his touch. "Raphael…" he said.

Now for his third little one. Choosing the right name for him would be difficult; he was very bright for his age, as well as resourceful, but he was also very quiet, keeping to himself most of the time. He still played with his brothers, yes, but there were moments where he would go off and play by himself in the backyard, near the small clear lake, and play with the sticks. In fact, if he recalled correctly, he actually used those sticks to make something similar to a house…so he was a builder, a tinkerer.

He knew of a man that made sculptors. His name was Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi…another very long name, which was shortened to Donatello. His name meant 'Gift' or 'Gift from God'. This youngster was indeed a gift, as well as being gifted himself.

"Donatello…" he said, stroking the olive turtles' head. He seemed to smile as he slept, revealing that cute gapped tooth.

And last but by no means least, Freckles. He was so very tempted to keep that name for him, but no; imagine all the teasing his brothers would put him through. So he needed something that reflected him not simply by his appearance, but by his personality; energetic, loving, kind…

He stopped at a page of one of his favourite sculptors; Michelangelo. His name meant something similar to 'Angel'. Now it was a big name for such a tiny one, but it was all too fitting for his innocent, freckled baby angel.

"And my little Michelangelo…" he said, stroking his cheek softly. Michelangelo stirred slightly, sticking his thumb into his mouth and sucking on it. Yoshi chuckled, carefully removing his thumb from his mouth before he closed the book and set it aside.

But what about himself? He could no longer go by the name of Hamato Yoshi. His life as a human was over…in fact, Hamato Yoshi had died long ago, along with the flames that had taken everything away from him. After that, he had merely become a shell of the man he had used to be. Without Tang Shen and Miwa, his life had no meaning…

But this life, this new one that he would start with his new, strange yet beautiful baby boys that had breathed the life back into him during the darkest of days, held more meaning to him now than ever before. He would leave the past behind him, leave it but never truly forget it, and head towards the future.

A thought then came to him. Well, it was more than a thought, it was a memory. A memory of him with his dear friend, Oroku Saki, before the rivalry had begun and tore them apart. It was back when they had served in the army, long before they had met Tang Shen. They and their fellow comrades had given each other humorous nicknames as a joke, and they had eventually stuck. Saki had gained the name 'Shredder' for his weapon involved using retractable blades, and he would 'shred his enemies to pieces' so to speak. Yoshi's was bar far the funniest; it was 'Splinter'. He was very thin back then, before he actually built up muscle, but the name still stuck…

Splinter…that would work.

Smiling to himself, both at the memory and the old name, he lay down beside his sleeping turtle sons, closing his eyes as sleep finally swept over him, the sounds of his sons breathing by his side comforting him as he allowed himself to rest at peace at last.

Hamato Yoshi was gone. And all that remain was Splinter, and his four precious children.

Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo…

* * *

**A/N: Well, there is chapter 2! I hope you liked it! More coming soon! **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey there everyone! Long delay, sorry!**

**This chapter is kinda sad, so get ready for some feels. I OWN NOTHING!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**_"Family means no one gets left behind…or forgotten."_**

**_–David Ogden Stiers_**

* * *

_3 Years Later…_

"Raphael, you must not hit your brother like that!"

Looking up from where he sat on top of his younger brother as they both wrestled on the grass, the three-year-old Raphael pouted, his non-existent brows knitting together crossly. "But daddy," he whined, "he was annoying me! And how come I get to hit him when were practice, daddy?" he argued.

His father held up a finger, "That is for practice only. We never hit each other out of anger, understand?" he warned, his tone daring for his son to disagree.

Raphael sighed in defeat and agitation. "Hai Sensei," he grumbled, getting off of Michelangelo and storming back into the house, probably in search for something else to take his new frustration on instead of his baby brother. Sprawled out on the grass, Michelangelo took in a dramatic deep breath, as though he had been released after being suffocated. The old ninja master sighed as he shook his head.

Sat down beside him, his eldest son, Leonardo, looked up at him. "Why is Raphie always so moody, Sensei?" he asked innocently.

The old rat looked down at him and smiled. He had been teaching the boys how to speak English as well as their native Japanese, and though it was very difficult for them, they soon adapted to it, speaking both languages fluently. The first thing they decided to do was to give each other nicknames; their full names were too long for them to pronounce, so they simply called each other Leo, Raph (or Raphie) Donnie and Mikey, which he found to be cute. "Your English is improving, Leonardo. I am impressed," he said, laying a hand on his head and patting it, "and I do not know why your brother is acting this way."

Leonardo frowned in thought and then his face lit up. "Maybe he needs 'nother bath!" he laughed.

His father chuckled. "That is true. Go on now, my son. Go play with your brothers." Leo nodded with a little grin, and then leapt up to go and chase Mikey, who screamed with delight as they ran through the garden, effectively getting Donatello, who had been occupied with a butterfly, to join in as well as they played a game of ninja tag.

Hamato Yoshi, now going by the name he had acquired in the army with Oroku Saki, Splinter, had been living with his adopted turtle sons within the shelter of the forests for three years. During that time, he had managed to fix the old place up as best as he could, using whatever resources he could find within the forests alone to do the job. And he had to admit, with the help of the young Donatello, he was quite proud of what they had done to the place; it looked as good as new.

It was also during that time that he had decided that he would pass on his family tradition to his sons; the art of ninjitsu. They were still young, so he started off by showing them the simple basics, and then they would eventually work their way into becoming full-fledged warriors. This world was dangerous, and there would be no kindness shown to them by humans, so Splinter would make sure that they would be ready to defend themselves, and then face those dangers, should there ever come a fateful day where they would be separated from one another.

But Splinter would ensure that never happened; he knew he would always be there for his four precious sons.

They had shown great skills during the course of their training; Leonardo had shown the most skill, Raphael the most power, Donatello the most focus, and Michelangelo, though he lacked the focus his older brothers had, he had far more speed and flexibility. In fact, they were all very skilled for turtles their age. Whether it was to do with the ooze that had given them enhanced abilities, or they were simply that advanced, he didn't know, but it didn't matter. They were growing, and he was so proud of them. That was all that mattered.

He had also given them their very own masks, made out of Miwa's old multi-coloured blanket, which the boys were all too happy to receive from their father. He had told them that it was a way to show their enemies (god forbid they ever made any) that they were going to be powerful ninjas, but really, it was a way for splinter to tell them apart properly, much to his own shame; he had mixed them up far too many times in the past, even with their different features.

He had given them each a colour according to their personality; Leonardo donned a blue mask, which symbolized loyalty, wisdom and faith. Raphael donned red, meaning anger, passion, determination and love. Donatello wore a purple mask, meaning ambition, creativity, independence and wisdom. And Michelangelo wore orange, meaning joy, creativity and happiness. His mask tails were cut the shortest, for he was always moving about with great enthusiasm wherever he went; having long tails would only hinder him.

Today, the sun was out during the hot summer afternoon, and Splinter was content in watching his three-year-old boys play in the front garden. However, it was during this peaceful moment in which he had begun to ponder over his options. Though they had all become quite attached to this home in the forest, Splinter knew that they could only stay here for so long until someone discovered them. In fact, that had almost happened several times in the past few months; Michelangelo had wanted to go out and explore beyond the bushes and trees that had hidden them, and it was only due to Splinter's quick thinking and reflexes that had saved his sons from being spotted by a human passing by. It would only be a short time until they were found. And he prayed that wouldn't happen. He knew the cruelty of humanity to creatures they did not understand…

They had to leave. The forest was just too open for them to stay in any longer. But where could they possibly go? Tokyo wasn't an option; there were far too many people in that city alone…

Wait a moment. There was one city that they could possibly escape to. It was still filled with humans, yes, but with a far less population, and better still, there were plenty of places that they could hide…though some were less pleasant than others, but they would make do.

The city of New York. It was far less open than Japan, and the people were known to never really notice anything but themselves.

And besides, what other options did he have left?

He nodded to himself once. That is what they would do. But first, he would have to tell his sons. Standing up and folding his hands behind his back, Splinter called, "My sons, _hiyaku_."

The three turtles playing on the grass looked up in confusion, but they immediately obeyed as they scrambled to their feet and followed their father inside the house. On their way to Splinter's room, Splinter bent down and scooped up a pouting Raphael into his arms, nuzzling his cheek with his nose to make the boy finally smile as he wrapped his arms around his father's neck. They all gathered around Splinter as he sat down before them on his futon with Raph sat on his lap. He regarded each of them, gazing down at their confused large eyes as they waited for him to speak, which after clearing his throat (and stopping Raph from messing with his beard) he did so. "My sons," he began, "I have decided…that we can no longer live here in the forest."

The reaction he was met with was what he had expected; wide eyes, open mouths and gasps of confusion. "But why daddy?" Donnie asked, "I thought you liked it here." His brothers nodded in agreement as they looked back at the rat.

"That is true, Donatello," Splinter explained, shifting Raph more comfortably in his lap, "but after much thought, I realize that this forest is far to open for us to stay here for much longer. We could be discovered very soon and I do not wish to lose any of you. So when the time is right, we shall all be going on a journey to another land, where we can live without the fear of being spotted."

The boys looked at each other for a moment, both in confusion and in slight wonder as they processed what their father was telling them. Finally they turned back to him and grinned, jumping up to their feet and gathering around their teacher and speaking all at once.

"That sounds cool, sensei!"

"So are we goin' on an adventure?!"

"So awesome!"

"When are we gonna go, are we gonna go now?!"

Splinter chuckled at their sudden burst of enthusiasm. "Calm yourselves, my sons. We will be going soon," he said, standing up and setting Raph back on his feet as he folded his hands behind him. "First, I must find a way to get us there without being spotted." He put a claw to his chin as he hummed to himself in thought. The forest they lived in was not very far away from the docks…maybe they could find a cargo ship to sneak aboard to get to New York without being seen. But then again, how on earth were they going to be able to do that? Splinter knew that it would take nearly all of the skills he possessed as a ninja too keep them from detection, but he was sure that they could make it. It would take time and a lot of effort, but he had gone through worse…and would have continued to do so if not for the love of his little treasures.

He nodded to himself once before he turned back to his sons. "Prepare yourselves, my sons. We will be leaving tonight."

The boys gasped in excitement, bouncing up and down as they began to cheer. Splinter smiled down at them warmly. They thought that they were going on an adventure. But to be honest, he couldn't help but agree with them.

Tonight would surely become an adventure for them all.

* * *

The moon was full that night as it hung over the silent forests of Japan, and he was once again on the move, using the thick bushes that surrounded the area for cover. He was never the one to actually hunt for prey, since he got his payment through whoever needed his services, and his body appeared human enough to walk in the city to buy whatever he needed to survive. Of course, he would have to conceal his face, arms and paws, but he had clothing for that. Tonight however, was different; he had been out of work for about a month now, and money was limited, so for now he would have to result in giving into his animalistic urges. Wild animals for him to prey on were actually scarce in these parts of the forest, either being hunted by the humans for food, medicine or clothing, or captured to be displayed in Zoos. The thought made him want to slit someone's throat. But he had to remain focused. There was a crane sitting there by the river, totally unaware of his presence in the bushes as he waited for the opportune time to strike.

He lowered his body to the ground, flexing his shoulder blades and his claws as he prepared to move in for a killing blow…

Something loud startled them both as it echoed into the night, causing the crane to fly off, but the tiger didn't care for a change.

That sound…it sounded like laser fire. But from where? And who was firing? And if was who he thought, then what were they shooting at?

Should he ignore it? After all, if it was those alien creatures again, it was in his best interests that he stayed well away from them. Unless he wanted to become a fur coat, that is. It was probably one of their escaped test subjects or something of the sort; it would be taken care of in due time. With a huff, he stood up and began to walk away in search for new prey.

Then he heard something else. Something that had stopped him in his tracks completely, and caused his eyes to widen as he turned around sharply, his eyes going wide.

A child crying.

There was a child out there. And wherever it was, it was alone and crying…

…and from the scent of it, they were bleeding as well.

He felt another feral growl rise from his throat. His head told him to ignore it. It was the rule of forest, and the rule of the cruel world they lived in; every creature for itself. But his animal instincts, the need to go out there and find that child and protect it…and his own inner child that had suffered as well so long ago, was even stronger than his mind.

With another huff of annoyance, the giant tiger mutant started off in the direction of the child's cries. Something told him in the back of his mind that he was going to regret this.

He just knew it.

* * *

Everything was blurry. Everything hurt; even his shell hurt. It was like his head was going to explode, and he wanted it to stop.

_Make it stop, sensei…make it stop…_

Something prodded his side, not hard enough to hurt, but enough for him to weakly open his eyes at last as he blinked the stars out of his vision. He let out a groan as he lifted a shaking hand to his head, feeling something warm trickle between his fingers, and he pulled back only to find them coated in blood. He let out a cry of alarm at the sight of the red liquid, before his gaze shifted to something standing next to him. His eyes travelled upwards, and he screamed as he scrambled backwards on his shell, hitting it against a thick tree as he stared up in wide eyed horror at the pale, emotionless faces of three dark clothed men that he had never seen before. In fact, Leonardo had never seen a _man_ before in his entire life.

The three of them stared down at the young turtle, drawing closer to him. "Kraang, the mutant that is known as turtle is a mutant that Kraang has not created," one of them said in a strange voice. Why were they speaking like that?

"Yes, Kraang, I am knowledge of that," another replied, "this turtle shall prove to a perfect test subject for Kraang to do that which is known as testing. Kraang, we must be taking this turtle to the place that is known as the secret base that is situated in the place known as Tokyo to do that which is known as testing."

The third one nodded, and he reached out to grab Leo, and his dark blue eyes widened in horror and fear as he scooted away, whimpering as tears spilled over his eyes and rolled down his cheeks. Where was he? What was going on? Where were his Sensei, Raph, Donnie and Mikey? They had been walking through the forest to go to the place Splinter called New York, when suddenly purple blasts of light were shooting everywhere, and in the next moment, Leo found himself surrounded by these scary men that wanted to hurt him again.

He shut his eyes and threw his arms over his head. He was so scared.

_Help me daddy…help me daddy!_

Suddenly, a loud roar ripped through the night, scaring the wits out of Leo as he looked up. The three strange men whirled around to find a large, muscular, armed and very angry tiger mutant standing behind them, pointing two very strange guns at them as he let out a growl through his fangs. "If I were you," he said slowly, his voice low and threatening, "I would step away from the child and leave. _Now_."

The three men did nothing of the sort, and instead, they pulled out their own guns. "Kraang, it is the one known as the tiger mutant. The one who calls himself, Tiger Claw."

And without warning, they opened fire on him. Leo screamed and covered his ears with his hands as the fight ensued, with the tiger gaining the upper hand very quickly as he fired his own laser guns at them and used his razor sharp claws to tear them in half from the waist. Within seconds, the fight was over, and right before his eyes, the young turtle saw three slimy brain looking creatures emerge from their chests, squeaking and scrambling away into the forest and away from the tiger mutant. Tiger Claw sheathed his weapons and cracked his neck from side to side, before turning to the turtle sat against the tree. Leo let out a little gasp as he looked at him and he flinched, tears still rolling down his cheeks as he sniffed.

They stared into each other's eyes for the longest time, almost as if they were trying to read each other. Then the connection was broken as Tiger Claw turned and let out a breath that sounded like growl and a sigh at the same time. "My work here is done. Go back to your home, little one," he said, and he turned and walked away from the turtle, no looking back as he entered the trees. He didn't know why he had saved him. Well, he _did _know why, but he refused to acknowledge that. He had not gone soft. He had simply offered him a single act of mercy that he would _not _be getting again…actually, this was the _second _act of mercy he had shown this particular turtle. He had met him before, back when he was just an infant.

"…_Boo. Boo…!"_

He shrugged the memory off as he continued forwards. The child meant nothing to him. The bleeding from his head injury had already stopped, so he would be fine.

He would let the boy return to his family on his own, and that would be that.

His ear twitched.

He turned around to find that the turtle was standing a few feet away from him, staring up at him through his blue mask with big blue eyes as he fiddled with his fingers nervously. Tiger Claw raised a brow at him. "…why are you following me?" he asked, his tone suggesting it was more of a warning to tell him to stop and leave him alone. Whether or not the child heeded it, he didn't bother to find out. "Go. Return to your home."

The boy didn't move, but he looked down at his feet, shifting slightly. After a moment, he looked back up, and in a quiet voice he said, "…boo?"

Tiger Claw blinked in surprise. He remembered him. How strange. A child's memory never lasted very long, and as they grew older, memories of their infancy faded away, being clouded by new memories they would make day by day. But somehow, after three years, he remembered the night he had seen the tiger and had tried to scare him off.

That touched him a little. A _little_.

He huffed again. "Yes. But that is not my name. My name is Tiger Claw."

The child tilted his head to the side, and his mouth twisted into a thoughtful pout. "T…Ti…" he began, as though he was trying to pronounce the name. "…Tigger?"

Oh lord please no.

Tiger Claw slapped a paw over his face as he shook his head and sighed. No. He would not let this child parade around the forest calling him the name of a children's book character. He would rather just kill him now and spare him the humiliation. He let out a long sigh as he turned back to the child. "No. That is not my name either. Go back to your home. Now." He said with a little more force that made the child flinch backwards slightly, before turning on his heel and walking back into the forest, his tail flicking behind him as he left the child standing there alone.

Leo stared at his retreating back, not moving from his spot. He glanced behind him, where the scary things had attacked him. There was no way he was going back there again. He needed to find his family, and that big cat was the only one that could help him.

Turning back, he shuffled once again after the tiger.

* * *

His ear twitched again.

His expression turned flat as his mouth formed a thin line. Not _again_.

He didn't have the time or patience for this any longer. This was the tenth time he had sensed that turtle child following him, and it had been going on for the last _three _hours. Why was he still following him like a lost puppy? He wasn't going to take him back home, nor was he going to find the rat for him; any contact with the rat would surely result in an unnecessary confrontation, and he only fought when he needed to.

But dear _god_ was this getting annoying.

Rolling his eyes, he finally stopped and sharply turned around again for the last time, his patience wearing thin and his frown deepening as he stared down at the little turtle, who had been itching closer and closer to him as they walked, but stopped dead in his tracks as soon as the tiger's angry eyes were on him again. Letting out a breath through his nose, he folded his stripped arms across his chest. "Why are you still following me, child?" he growled lowly, "It has been hours now. Why don't you return to your family?"

The fiddle with his mask tails, before in a timid little voice, he finally said, "…I…I lost 'em…"

Tiger Claw started at that, and turned around fully to look down at the child. "What was that?" he asked, using a less irritated tone than before.

The boy's shoulders shook slightly with effort as he fought for control over his tears. "…um…w-we were goin' on a trip to someplace else, a-and then those mean things came and tried to hurt us. I must've fell asleep 'cus when I woke up…daddy and my brothers wasn't there any more…"

Despite his effort, the thick tears began to roll down his cheeks as he hugged himself, squeezing his eyes shut. "…I'm scared…" he whimpered as he looked back up at the tiger. "…d-do you know where daddy is?" he asked.

The giant tiger looked off to the side. For the first time in a long time, Tiger Claw felt his heart ache for the child, but he refused to show it, keeping his face calm as he stared down at the crying turtle before him. He was just as he had been all those years ago, back when he had first been captured by those alien creatures as a boy. He had been so afraid, wanting his mother and father to come and find him, reassure him that all of it was a bad dream. But of course, life was never that kind, and so he was left to wander the lands alone, cold and so afraid, not knowing if he would survive. That was until he got involved with the criminal underworld. And he made himself become stronger. He forged himself into a warrior with nerves of steel, and a heart of stone. But now, looking at the mutant child that quivered before him, lost and alone and so afraid…it tore his inner child.

He knew he shouldn't. It should've been none of his concern. He should've left him to learn how to fend for himself, just as he himself had done. But he had been much older than him when the aliens had taken him. He knew more than the three-year-old did. He had no chance, no chance at all in surviving by himself. He knew that his heart had turned cold over the years, but even he couldn't abandon one so young to a fate like that. With a resigned sigh, Tiger Claw made his decision. He bent down on one knee to the child, who flinched back slightly.

Tiger Claw looked him in the eye. "…what is your name, little one?" he asked.

The boy sniffled. "…daddy calls me…Le…Leonardo. But my brothers call me Leo, 'cus it's easier."

Leonardo. That meant 'brave lion'. What a long and strange name for a child like him. But concerning the circumstances, would that be ironic or coincidental? Shaking the thought off, he got himself back on track as he faced the boy again. "Leonardo…can you remember where you live?" he asked.

He saw the boy's eyes fill with slight hope at his question, but then his expression fell as he shook his head.

Tiger Claw huffed; that figures. "…In that case, I will sniff them out. We will find them together."

His little green face broke out into a tearful grin as he nodded his head rapidly, sniffling as he wiped away his tears with the back of his hand. Tiger Claw nodded once, and then raised his head and closed his eyes as he sniffed the air. His nose was better than the average dog's, which came very handy when looking for prey or sensing a threat of any kind. And it took only seconds for him to catch onto the rat's scent. It was old, but it lead back into the direction of the hut they were living in. He opened his eyes again as he stood up, and he began to walk on ahead in the direction of the house. He realized a minute later that the turtle wasn't following him this time, and he rolled his eyes.

When he _didn't_ want him to follow, he followed. When he _wanted_ him to follow, he didn't. He cocked his head forwards, motioning for him to follow him, and he quickly obeyed, shuffling behind him timidly. Tiger Claw huffed; whatever happened to that brave little one that he had met three years ago?

Well, in all honesty, he was brave for following him for as long as he did. Either that or he was simply suicidal.

They walked in silence through the forest as they trekked their way back to the hut. Tiger Claw glanced behind him periodically, making sure that he was still following him, which he was…until he stumbled over a branch sticking out of the mud, and he fell flat onto his face. Tiger Claw stopped walking, and prepared himself for the child to start crying. But to his surprise, the boy barely reacted at all as he only stood up again, wiping the mud off his face and knees and sniffing before looking expectantly back up at the tiger, waiting for him to continue walking. Tiger Claw blinked once in mild surprise; normally a child his age and size would have started to cry from a fall like that. Children were weak and fragile things, always crying and whining at the slightest thing. Not this child though. He simply brushed it off like it was nothing but a scratch.

Leonardo tilted his head as the tiger stared at him. "…Tigger?" he asked.

Tiger Claw narrowed his eyes. "Do not call me that," he warned.

Leo shrunk back slightly as he nodded, and Tiger Claw turned back to the path with Leo close behind him. He looked at his large paw at his side. He wanted to hold his hand, for it made him feel safer, but something told him that if he did, he would get scolded, so he kept his hands to himself. He would feel better once he was back home with Master Splinter and his brothers. They had to be waiting back at the hut for him to come back, right? They wouldn't leave him behind after those creepy men attacked them, would they? Of course not! They were family, and family never leaves family behind. That's what Splinter always said, and he was always right.

The sky had turned lighter as the sun finally began to rise by the time they had reached the hut. Whilst Leonardo had gone running down the path and into the darkened house, Tiger Claw stayed behind, his brow creasing in confusion. He sniffed the air once more. Something wasn't right here.

The scents he could smell were old. They weren't here. They hadn't come back yet…and from how old these scents were, and by who he had found surrounding the boy when he had arrived on the scene, he doubted that they would be any time soon...

It appeared that he had been in time to save Leonardo, but far too late for his family…

He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard Leonardo calling out, "I'm back, daddy! Raphie, Donnie, Mikey? Where are you? Are you hiding?" and he let out a long breath through his nose. He had no idea, did he? Of course he didn't. The death of loved ones was foreign to him. In fact, did he even know what had happened to them? Hadn't he seen anything? Or had he been knocked out before he could see what had become of his family…that now, he was all alone? He closed his eyes and lowered his head. He didn't want to be the one to tell him. It would shatter him to pieces. But he knew that it needed to be done. Taking in a deep breath, Tiger Claw walked down the path and stepped into the house. It was dark, but with his heightened eyesight, he could see as clearly as if the lights were on. The house was old, and there were areas that had been patched up, albeit clumsily, but it had been good enough for the time being.

He was about to go looking for the boy in the other rooms, but he found him nearly running into him from the main area. Leonardo gazed up at him with eyes full of confusion as he asked him, "Where is daddy? Where are Raph, Donnie and Mikey?"

Tiger Claw looked down into his big blue orbs full of innocence, and he found himself torn. Should he tell him the truth? How could he? The truth would be far too unbearable for him…

He decided he would stretch the truth, turn the horrid twist of fate into something more bittersweet. He sighed as he knelt down on one knee, and this time, Leo didn't flinch. "…your family…has gone somewhere else," he began, "somewhere they will be safe."

Creasing his brow, Leo tilted his head. "…they did? Did they go to that place already…without me?" His face fell as tears began to start in his eyes. Why did they leave him behind? He thought they were going to stick together forever. Did Sensei lie to him? Did they leave him behind on purpose…because they didn't want him anymore?

Tiger Claw realized his mistake, and quickly tried to think of something else to say. "No, they did not leave you…they…they have simply gone away for a little while. They will come back and get you very soon."

Leo looked up at that. They were coming back for him? They didn't forget about him? "…when?"

"Hm?"

"…when are they coming back to get me?"

The tiger scratched the back of his head uncomfortably as he tried to think of a suitable answer for him, one that he would believe, but not one that would give him too much hope. To his annoyance and shame, he could only think of one:

"…soon."

Leonardo blinked. "Oh," he said simply, twiddling his fingers as he looked down thoughtfully at his feet, as if processing what the tiger had told him. After a moment of silence, he looked back at Tiger Claw, and to the cat's surprise, he smiled at him and nodded. "Okay then!" he piped up, "Is Tigger gonna stay with me until daddy comes back?"

Tiger Claws' eyes widened and his heart sank in his chest. What? Was he actually asking him to stay with him? That was the last thing he wanted to do! There was no way he could possibly take care of a child, not with the life he lived. His life was that of a lone warrior, not the life of a single parent to an orphaned three-year-old mutant turtle. But then again, what else did he expect to happen once he learned that the rat was never going to come back? Had he thought he could just leave the boy here to cling onto false hope for the rest of his days? But he had said so himself, that leaving the boy to a cruel fate was cruel, even for him. But…he just couldn't. It was something he wouldn't be able to handle, not with being an assassin always on the hunt…

…but he couldn't leave him here to die alone. It would make him no better than the ones who had taken his humanity from him all those years ago.

He looked back at Leonardo, who continued to wait patiently for his reply. And it was in that moment that the tiger made his decision. He didn't know how he was going to do it, but somehow, he would protect and raise this child as his own. It would be one of his greatest challenges yet, but it was now his responsibility, and on his last ounce of the honor that he had left in him, to make sure that this child lived and grew. He also knew about the training that the rat had begun to put them all through in order for them to protect themselves from danger should they ever become separated. Though he was no ninja, he too would train him to the best of his abilities, until he became just a fierce and strong a warrior like he was.

He put a paw on his shoulder. "…yes, Leonardo," he said at last, "I will stay with you until your time comes as well. We will live here together until then."

Leonardo smiled happily, and he nodded his head. "Thank you Tigger!"

His eye twitched. "…please, do not call me that anymore."

Leonardo's smile turned into a bashful pout. "Sorry…"

Tiger Claw shook his head, and for the first time in a long time, he allowed himself to give the child a smile, a real one filled with reassurance, patience…and love. "My name is Tiger Claw…" he said, placing his paw upon his head and rubbing it softly as the young boy – his young cub – smiled up at him.

"…but you may call me…father."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. I was a little hesitant in writing this because I found that the post this was inspired by was an actual AU that someone else was doing, and they had assumed that I was copying them, but I told them I wasn't. I apologized though, but I'm still a bit on the edge.**

**Anyways, here is chapter 4. It's slightly shorter than the others, sorry!**

**I OWN NOTHING!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**_"No word makes me happier than the word "daddy", _**

**_when it's directed to me." _**

**_– Michael Josephson_**

* * *

The sound of birds happily chirping musically resounded through the air as the sun rose in the horizon, its gentle rays of light shining down upon the quiet forests of Japan. The many woodland creatures began to emerge from their nests and burrows as they prepared themselves for the long day ahead of them, scurrying about the forest in search for their morning meal for either themselves of for their families. However, in a particular part of the forest, one that was hidden by many overgrown trees and bushes, there was a small household where its two occupants that had yet to fully awaken. They would be found in one of the bedrooms of the old house, sleeping soundly on one of the spare futons that they had found in the wooden cupboards, side by side and seemingly at peace in their dream filled slumbers. It was truly an odd sight to behold; a large, fearsome tiger creature sleeping next to a smaller, more fragile mutant turtle child no older than three years old, when one would think that the tiger would have already devoured the turtle...

The tiger started to stir as the sunrays glimmered through the window. Cracking his amber tinted eyes open, Tiger Claw looked drowsily around at his blurry surroundings, and became confused. Where was he? He didn't remember going to sleep in his burrow last night…

Oh. That's right.

He glanced down at where the turtle child, Leonardo, the little cub that he himself had decided to care for, was sleeping with his little face buried into his chest, and he allowed himself to smile softly. Luckily, Tiger Claw had remembered to take off his weapons and belts before he went to sleep, which was something that he hadn't done before. He was so used to living in the forest itself, always prepared for any dangers that would befall him in the night, be it an animal that thought it could match him in taking over the territory, or one of those 'Kraang' creatures. Wherever he went, he always carried at least one of his weapons with him. He was always prepared, always expecting the unexpected…well, _this_ time he had not been prepared at all. He never expected in his life that he would be fathering an orphaned mutant turtle child, raising him as if he were his own cub, for lack of a better term. And even though it was only his first day on the job, he was already fearing that he would not be able to fill the void that the old rat had left in the boys' life; he had no idea how to raise a child, no idea what to feed him, no idea what his training sessions were usually like, but he gathered they had been going through the basics of ninjitsu at the time. And in all honesty, his training was going to change once he got started, but everything else…he really hadn't thought of.

He was actually surprised that the rat had been able to keep himself and the turtles alive for as long as he had.

Well, better get started before the boy woke up. Slowly and quietly, Tiger Claw stood up and walked out of the large bedroom that he assumed to be the turtles' bedroom before they left; it only made sense that the four boys shared the largest room until they grew old enough to have their own. After letting loose a cat-like yawn, he sniffed the air in the house, hoping that they had left some food behind in the kitchen; they couldn't bring everything with them wherever they went, could they?

To his utter salvation, as he walked into the kitchen, which appeared to be like the old style kitchens with the sinks on the side, the table in the middle and the pots, pans and stoves on the other side of the room underneath the cupboards, the overgrown tiger found that they had indeed left over some food, fresh food at that. The stock consisted of mostly fruits they had gathered from the forest; berries, apples, bananas…wait, where did he find the strawberries?

Well then, he supposed he could give Leonardo a fruit salad for breakfast? Shrugging his shoulders, Tiger Claw took out a rather large melon (seriously, where did the rat even get this stuff?) and set it down on the table, getting out a clean knife from the drawer as he began to cut it into neat, thick slices. He just hoped he knew what he was doing. In fact, did the child even_ like _melons to begin with? Oh lord…

He heard a little yelp coming from the bedroom. He lifted his head in alarm as the sound of running little feet reached his ears, and it wasn't long until a frightened little green turtle nearly slid past the kitchen door. The child let out a heavy sigh of relief at the sight of the tiger standing in the kitchen, putting his hand over his chest as he panted slightly. "…I…I thought you left, too…" he said.

Tiger Claw blinked down at him in surprise, his brow furrowing. Why would he think that? He had told him that he would stay with him –

_But so did the rat._

Tiger Claw shook his head and offered the child a soft smile. "I have told you, Leonardo," he said reassuringly, "I am not going anywhere."

Leo's heart seemed to finally calm as he smiled back at the tiger mutant, his big blue eyes filled with hope. He was telling the truth. But that still didn't ease his fears of being left alone. The tiger had told him the other night that his sensei and his brothers had gone away for a little while, and that they would come back for him very soon, so he would wait for them until they finally returned, so then he wouldn't feel afraid of being alone anymore. Of course, Mr. Tiger – well, _father _for now –would come along with them for taking care of him!

Leo's eyes fell upon the melon slices on the table, and he stared at them. "…is that for breakfast?" he asked innocently.

Tiger Claw already feared the worst, and he cringed a little. "…yes?"

Leo nodded his head, and he laced his fingers behind his shell as he looked back up at the tiger, his blue eyes big and almost pleading. "…can I have the biggest piece?"

Tiger Claw blinked once. Then a chuckle escaped his lips, mostly out of relief as he nodded his head. "Yes, you may," he replied, "I see you like melons then?"

Leonardo seemed to bounce on his toes as he nodded excitedly. "Yes, yes, yes! I _love _melons! Sensei used to give us melons all the time, but then Raphie would always steal the biggest one because he's such a big meanie sometimes, but –"

As the boy continued to ramble on, steering off the subject of melons completely, Tiger Claw couldn't stop the small laugh that escaped him. And then found himself surprised that he had actually been able to make him laugh. Better yet, in the space of a few hours, Leonardo had managed to make him _smile_. He hadn't really smiled in a long time, and if he ever did, it was never a real one; it never came from the heart. But whenever he looked at the child, his little cub, that smile managed to appear without hesitation.

Maybe this was going to work out after all.

* * *

After breakfast, Tiger Claw had allowed Leo to go out into the garden to play as he wandered around the house, inspecting it for anything that would need fixing, removing or possibly replacing. If he was going to raise a child, he refused to let him live in a home that was still practically crumbling and could fall on their heads at any moment. He was quite familiar with building things, and the rat that lived here before him had done a half decent job already, so there wouldn't be that much for him to do; just the roof, the bathroom, the kitchen…okay, maybe a little more than that. But all the tools he needed were already in the basement in the kitchen, so he could get started as soon as he was ready. However, he knew that training Leonardo would be a challenge. Tiger Claw himself was already familiar with dozens of fighting styles, a skill that was essential if you were an assassin with targets that could have an advantage over you, should they know how to fight in a style you didn't know. Ninjitsu was also on that long list of fighting styles, but he hadn't used that in a long time. Leo was still in the early stages of becoming a ninja, but he seemed to be very comfortable the way he was. Would it really be a good idea to completely alter his training pattern?

He looked back out to the front garden, where he could see Leo hopping on one foot, giggling as he hopped after a butterfly and flapped his arms up and down as if he were a butterfly himself. Tiger Claw didn't even attempt to fight the snicker as he watched him. Maybe he should ask him what he and his previous Sensei did before they left. It would be helpful for them both if Tiger Claw knew exactly what stage he was at. Nodding to himself, he stood up from where he sat in the living room and walked out towards the front garden. "Leonardo," he called, and the turtle instantly stopped hopping after the butterfly as he turned to look up at the tiger. "…can you show me what katas you know from your ninja training?" he asked.

His eyes brightening in delight, Leo nodded enthusiastically. "Hai, Sensei!" he piped up with a short bow.

Tiger Claw shook his head with a chuckle; looks like someone loves to train. "Very well," he said fondly, folding his hands behind his back, "_Hajime."_

Leo's cheerful expression suddenly reverted into one full of stone-faced concentration as he nodded and began, moving in sharp fluid motions as he launched a series of kicks and punches at his invisible opponent. Tiger Claw found himself unable to speak as he watched him. Though he was only small and still quite young, his movements were very fluid, and he hardly stumbled. He showed great skill and concentration even though they were simple katas he was displaying.

Indeed, Leonardo was born to be a warrior.

When Leo came to a stop, his back was erect and his arms posted firmly at his sides as he looked up at his surrogate father. "How did I do, sensei?" he asked, trying to conceal the giddy smile that threatened to appear.

Tiger Claw smiled softly and clapped his hands. "Well done, Leonardo," he praised, "that was exceptional. You are a very skilled young warrior."

Leo's face finally broke out into a childish grin as a little blush coated his cheeks. "T-Thank you, Tigger – I-I'm sorry, I mean, tiger. No, wait, I-I mean –"

The giant tiger shook his head with a smile, walking over to the child and patting him on the head. "Don't apologize, young cub," he said gently, "and I told you…you may call me father."

Leo put both little green hands on top of the furry paw on his head as he looked up at Tiger Claw. Even though he looked mean and scary when they had first met, the giant tiger had been very kind to Leo, saving him from those scary men back in the forest, and then offering to stay with him…and then letting him call him father…it all made him so happy inside. He knew one day that his real father and his younger brothers would come back for him soon, and he would always be waiting for them, but until then, he could be just as happy living with the tiger. Smiling brighter than the sun, Leo nodded against the furry paw on his head. "Okay…f-father!" he stumbled slightly. He was not yet used to saying 'father' just yet. "And…you called me a cub…" he giggled, "that sounds funny!"

Tiger Claw smiled and nodded. "Yes," he said, "but it fits you well."

Leo nodded back. "In that case, daddy fits you better, too! So…can I call you daddy instead?" he asked shyly.

Tiger Claw blinked once in mild surprise. That word actually made him feel something odd, something that he hadn't felt in a while, but because of Leo, he was starting to get used to.

That word made him happy inside. So very happy.

He smiled again, lowering himself down onto one knee so that he could lick the top of the turtle's head affectionately. "Yes. You can."

* * *

_3 months later…_

Tiger Claw had noticed a slowly growing pattern with his little one. It was nothing particularly bad, but it was slightly odd.

After their training sessions in the morning, which both he and Tiger Claw were slowly getting used to, Leo was free to do whatever he pleased, which was mostly playing in the front garden or swimming in the little pond in the back garden whilst Tiger Claw did some work around the house until lunch came around. That was normal. But what was beginning to unsettle the mutant tiger was what happened after dinner.

Leo would simply sit out on the wooden platform just as he had done all those years ago, and he would stare out into the forest for hours, not moving unless he wanted to get a snack or to use the bathroom. Tiger Claw thought nothing of it at first, thinking of it as simply a way for him to calm himself down ready for when bedtime came around (and it was on the first day that the big cat had realized that the turtle child simply _couldn't_ sleep on his own no matter what, so they had to share a room, not that he had any issues with that).

But then the months went on; Tiger Claw finally managed to finish off the house using anything he could find from the forest or on his late night runs to the nearby junk yards, and Leo eventually turned four years old. By this point, it had become a regular thing. Every night, Leo would continue to go out there and sit on the platform, staring out into the distance with a neutral expression on his face.

Tiger Claw was beginning to worry. What was he doing? It was almost as if he was waiting for some –

Oh no.

He couldn't be waiting for his deceased family, could he? If he was, then he would be waiting for the rest of his life pointlessly...

If he told him the truth, then it would break his heart…but if he left him to continue waiting for the family that would never come, then when he finally realized the truth, it would break him even more…

No. It was better if he just told him the truth. It was better than clinging onto false hope for the rest of his life. If he had done the same all those years ago, when he too had faced being abandoned, he would have died long ago…

However, just as he was about to out and give the boy the news, on his way out of the kitchen, he was stopped in his tracks when Leonardo suddenly appeared in front of him, his blue eyes brimming with tears that had yet to be shed. Tiger Claw quirked a brow at him, and he knelt down on one knee so that he was eye level with the four year old. "What is wrong, Leonardo?" he asked.

Leo looked down at his feet, refusing to look the tiger in the eyes as he sniffed. "…um…I think I get it now…" he said quietly, "…why sensei and my brothers aren't here yet…"

Tiger Claw's brows furrowed, and he felt his heart clench in his chest at the child, who still refused to look up at him as his should shook slightly, as if he was holding back the tears. Had he finally figured it out? Had he put the pieces of his fractured memory together?

The poor child…he was probably going to start crying…

But to Tiger Claw's surprise, when Leo finally lifted his head, he was smiling. Smiling, even though the tears began to pour his face and drip off his chin. "…they haven't come back yet…'cause they don't want me…"

Tiger Claw's eyes widened and his breath hitched. No, that wasn't it, they always wanted you, they _loved _you, don't you see? Before he could say anything else, Leo continued, the tears still falling endlessly from his eyes, yet he kept on smiling. "…I guess…Master Splinter didn't think I was a good ninja…Raphie and I always got into fights 'nd stuff…Donnie and Mikey must've thought that I was too serious about practice…but…that's okay…'cause I still have you…" His smile began to falter as his bottom lip trembled, and he brought a shaking hand to rub his face, but that only brought on more tears. "But…I d-don't get it…" he whimpered, "I-I didn't do anything wrong…why did they…why did they hate me…w-why did they leave me behind…?"

He could take no more of this, and without warning, Tiger Claw threw his arms around Leo and tugged him close to his chest, his strong arms holding him tightly with no intention of letting go. And it was that act that finally broke Leo's last wall as he began to sob into the tiger's chest, clinging to him with all the strength he had in his quivering little body. Tiger Claw felt his heart throb for the child in his arms. He believed that his family had abandoned him out of hatred, thought that they had not thought he was good enough, strong enough or even worthy enough of their love, simply because of who he was…

_"…but…that's okay…'cause I still have you…"_

Shutting his eyes, he brought up a paw and softly stroked the back of his head. "…don't cry, Leonardo…they did not hate you," he soothed as the child's sobs began to lessen, "they had no control over what had happened the night you lost them. But know this…" He drew back slightly in order to cup both hands against Leo's face, making him look directly into his eyes as he sniffled. "I will _never _leave you, do you understand? I will _never _hate you. You will _never_ be alone again…my son."

Leo's eyes widened as he stared into the tiger's eyes. He had never actually called him his son before. More tears began to fall as he then launched himself back into his chest, burying his face into his shirt as he began to sob again. "I-I love you, daddy!" he cried.

Tiger Claw embraced him again, putting all the love and strength he could into it. He felt a lump in his throat and a stinging behind his eyes as he held his little cub. "…I love you too, my son."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello everyone! Chapter 5 here! Thank you so much for all the comments you guys! They are really funny and awesome to read!**

**I OWN NOTHING!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**_"A single rose can be my garden... a single friend, my world."_**

**_ –Leo Buscaglia_**

* * *

_4 years later…_

The moment Tiger Claw awakened, before he even opened his eyes as the morning finally came, he knew that something was wrong. For starters, when he patted the space in front of him with his eyes still glued closed, where he knew a certain hard-shelled body should have been, he found that it was no longer there. His brow furrowed, and he finally opened his eyes to find that there was no one sleeping next to him at all on the futon. His eyes widened as he sat up, looking around the room in search for his son. Leonardo hardly ever woke up before his father did, and if he did, it was only to go to the bathroom.

And what was even stranger, and very troubling, was the fact that he couldn't even smell the boy…

"Leonardo?" he said, standing up and scanning the room, a slight flash of panic running through him. He sniffed the air, hoping to catch his scent in case he was just in the living room or the kitchen, and he was just overreacting, but he caught nothing but the smell of leaves and muddy earth. "Leonardo?" he called again, and still no one answered him. No he was beginning to worry. Where was he? Where did he go?

"**_RAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"_**

Someone roared and leapt down upon the unsuspecting tiger's head from the roof, and Tiger Claw actually let out a cat-like yowl before he whirled around ready to attack the intruder, his claws and teeth bared. Then his expression turned into a mixture of flat annoyance and slight relief at the sight of a very muddy eight-year-old Leonardo, who was rolling on his shell and laughing as he clutched his stomach in pain, on the verge of tears as he howled in laughter. He managed to stifle it enough so that he could sit up and point at the startled tiger, "I-I scared you, dad!" he chortled breathlessly.

Tiger Claw let out a sigh, retracing his claws before Leo could see them as he reached out and rubbed his muddy head. "Indeed you did, Leonardo," he said with a huff of amusement as the turtle tried to playfully bite his paw out of giddiness. Tiger pulled back his paw and made a face at how much mud was coated on it, and he looked back to Leo, who had simmered down a little as he beamed up at his father. "…why exactly did you coat yourself in mud?" he asked.

Underneath the muddy coat, Leo's cheeks turned pink. "Um, you remember that technique you taught me about hiding my scent? Well, I woke up to go the bathroom, and then I had the idea to try it out on you and see if it worked! And it did!" he cheered, pumping his fist in the air triumphantly.

Tiger Claw shook his head and smirked. "Well, that is good for you. I'm very proud of you, since you had actually listened to the advice given to you…but you do realize that it is you who is going to clean up this mess, don't you?"

Leo blinked as he looked down at the now muddy wooden floor. "Aw, come on dad, that's no fun!" he pouted, and then he beamed again as he stood up, running behind the tiger as he wrapped his arms around his shoulders, "let me off just this once, since I did good? _Pleeeease? _Oh, I'll show you my impression of you when you go hunting!" he said, and narrowed his eyes as he proceeded to do a decent impression of a tiger's growl.

Tiger Claw chuckled. "Very well, I will do it," he relented, prying the child's muddy arms from around his neck, "so why don't you go and take a bath before _I _give you one myself?"

Leo let out a squeak as he ran from the bedroom, "Ewww! No, I don't want a cat bath!" he teased, "besides, you'll get mud on your tongue if you did!" and he ran to the bathroom to fill up the bath, leaving a trail of muddy footprints in his wake.

Tiger Claw huffed out a laugh as he stood up, heading towards the closet and taking out his Japanese day clothing (a dark blue, white flower patterned kimono) and tied it on, rolling up the sleeves until they were above the elbow as he stepped out of the bedroom. He was still quite surprised that Leo had remembered what he had told him during one of their training sessions out in the forest. Ever since Leo turned five, Tiger Claw had decided that keeping the boy cooped up inside during the course of his training would be less than beneficial for him, so from then on he would take Leo out on occasion, depending on what he decided to teach him that day, be it how to hide or find specific trails in the earth, or how to wield the two new weapons he had received as a gift from Tiger Claw's last mission; a pair of two, beautiful and well forged katana blades, which the turtle had loved to death.

Eventually, Leo had developed a great love and attachment for the forest, and had asked if all of their sessions could take place outside. Tiger Claw would often see him running through the forest and bounding from tree to tree with a smile of pure delight on his face. Once or twice he caught him actually hanging upside down from vines and branches like an ape.

He was a wild one when he wanted to be.

But other times, Tiger Claw found him sat underneath one of the sakura trees near the lake, where he and his previous family had first been mutated years ago, his eyes closed and his legs crossed as he seemed to be meditating, which Tiger Claw had introduced him to not long after he had realized why his family had left him…

Tiger Claw frowned at the thought. He had been so devastated; he barely spoke or ate anything for the better part of a week, simply sitting on the grass outside and idly picking the petals off the flowers. After the seventh day, Tiger Claw had had enough of it, and decided to teach the boy how to meditate, how to be at peace with both the body and the mind…and after a few days, it seemed to have worked. Now, he always meditated during the late afternoon somewhere within the forest. He believed that it somehow helped him feel calmer once he was 'connected to the forest', or at least that was how Leonardo had put it.

Although the meditation was helping, he knew that deep down inside Leonardo, there was still something brewing inside his heart, something that Tiger Claw was all too familiar with, and something that showed on his face whenever he went through katas on his own in the forest.

Hatred.

Someday, Tiger Claw would have to teach him how to contain that anger properly before it turned outward...but until then, he had a messy turtle to chase once he realized that he had gone back outside to roll in the mud again. With a playfully predatory grin, he chased after the dirt covered Leo, who let out a shriek as he ran through the house, trying to escape his inevitable fate by the hands of his father.

* * *

After breakfast, Leonardo was finally scrubbed clean from all the mud he had plastered himself with earlier, and after his training session with Tiger Claw, he was allowed to roam the forest by himself, just as he had done countless times. He had his two Katanas strapped to his back with leather sheaths and belts that Tiger Claw had brought back for him on one of his missions. Someday, Leo wanted to go out there and do just what his father did; fighting, putting his ninja skills to some good use.

Leo had heard of these creatures called 'humans' or 'people' once when Tiger Claw had come home from one of his jobs, and he had described them as strange, furless beings that walked the earth in millions. Did Tiger Claw protect the 'people'? He didn't actually know what a human looked like, or what an assassin was supposed to be, but he bet that it was cool, and that they were supposed to protect the people from those who would do other people harm.

Yeah. An assassin sounded like a cool thong to be! He could help Tiger Claw protect the creatures called 'people' too!

He stopped walking as soon as he reached his favourite spot in the forest; the sakura tree that stood tall and beautiful next to the lake. He never understood why, but whenever he was in that area, he always felt so calm and almost connected with the quiet, peaceful world around him. He felt free…

He took in a deep breath and let it out in a long controlled sigh as he sat underneath the tree, its beautiful pink petals shielding him from the hot rays of the blazing sun above. He crossed his legs and rested his hands on his knees as he closed his eyes, and just as his Sensei had taught him, he relaxed his muscles and cleared his thoughts from his mind, simply listening to the trickling of the waters, the chirping of the birds, and the quiet whispers of the wind as they blew softly through the trees. Even though his sense of smell and his hearing were far superior to that of regular creatures thanks to his extensive training with the mutant tiger, Leo could smell nothing but the sweet aromas of the flowers around him, and hear nothing but –

"Hello there!"

What the –?

Leo snapped his eyes open, and he saw a pair of sandals with five toes peeking out of them. Five toes? He only had three. His gaze slowly travelled upwards, and he saw that the one with five-toed feet was wearing a red kimono with pink flower patterns and a yellow sash tied around the waist. And then he finally saw their face…and his eyes widened to the size of saucers as he let out a gasp.

The young, pale skinned creature was leaning forwards with her five fingered hands on its' knees as it stared down at Leo with a large, toothy grin that nearly split its pretty little face in half. Its dark, golden-brown eyes were large with wonder as she gazed down at the younger turtle. It didn't seem to be afraid of him, but Leo was frozen with fear. What was that thing? Where did it come from? How did it find him? Why was it just_ staring at him like that_?!

Wait…could this be one of those 'people'? Was this an actual, real-life 'human'?

The human shuffled closer to him, and he scooted backwards from it, his wide blue eyes never leaving it as he scooted farther away. Though he had always dreamed of meeting a real human face to face, he never thought it would actually happen…and he was admittedly quite scared. Would it try to hurt him? Would it _eat _him? Tiger Claw did say that humans also hunted for food, just like he did…he prayed that it didn't want to eat a turtle like him!

Its smile grew wider as it brushed its dark fur from its eyes. What kind of fur was that? It wasn't like Tiger Claw's fur. His wasn't as long as the humans; in fact, it was only on its head, and it looked like it had been cut to that length. Why would it cut its fur like that?

"What are you supposed to be?" it suddenly asked, and that made Leo jump again. They really _could _talk! Just like him and Tiger Claw! Leo didn't answer as the human began to draw closer to him, and he stood up and backed away in fear. Should he attack? But it didn't attack him first, and it seemed like it had no weapons with it. So instead, he turned tail and ran from it. And he didn't have to look behind to know that it was following him…and it was _laughing_.

"Sensei!" Leo cried, bursting through the bushes as he ran down the dirt path towards their house, not stopping until he was inside, "Sensei, t-there's a thing, t-there's a person in the forest! It's following me – _ooff!"_

Leo collided with a solid black bulk as he ran into the living room. He stepped back and rubbed his nose from the tingling sensation, and he looked up to see what exactly he had run into…only to find, to his utter horror, another much taller human standing in front of Tiger Claw, who watched them both with a calm expression.

Leo swallowed thickly. This human…his face…it was half burned…

The human turned to face him fully, and he blinked in surprise at the sight of the wide eyed turtle child staring up at him as if he had seen the face of death. Despite his surprise, he offered the turtle a small smile. "Hello there," he said, his voice deep but oddly friendly, but Leo wasn't fooled as he let out a high pitched yelp and scrambled in the opposite direction. He barely heard the voice of his father calling out to him as he scurried away, only to let out another squeak as he came face to face with the smaller human again.

"Found you!" it giggled.

Leo ran back the way he had come again and this time whizzed past the taller, scarier looking human and hid behind Tiger Claw's legs, peering from behind his father skittishly at the two humans that had intruded his home. The taller human chuckled as he folded his hands behind his back. "What a ball of energy he is," he said, smirking slightly as he raised a brow at the young turtle behind the tiger.

Tiger Claw chuckled as well as he nodded. "Yes, he is," he said, and he moved aside so that Leo was no longer behind him, and he kneeled down beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "This is my son, the one I have told you about, Leonardo," he introduced. Leo looked down at his feet, a nervous blush covering his cheeks as he shifted his feet.

The human nodded his head, and he placed a hand on the smaller human's head as she bounced next to him. "This is my daughter, Karai," he said. "Karai, this is Leonardo."

The human called Karai bowed politely at the two of them, despite being so giddy a few seconds ago. "Hello Leonardo!" she piped up with her bright little smile. Leo blushed, quickly averting his eyes from her as he instead looked towards the wall. He didn't understand why, but whenever he looked at her, his stomach started to flutter, almost as if there was an entire horde of butterflies in there. What was wrong with him?

Karai frowned in confusion at his lack of response. "…I said hello," she insisted, but Leo only backed away again to hide behind the giant tiger again.

Tiger Claw smirked at his bashful son. "Well, aren't you going to answer her Leonardo?" he asked.

Leo shook his head.

"You're not afraid, are you?"

Leo pouted sourly and shook his head again.

"Well then, go ahead," Tiger Claw said, standing up and pushed Leo forwards towards Karai. Leo stumbled slightly, and looked up at the human who waited patiently for his reply. Leo turned back to Tiger Claw, who motioned his head forwards. "Go on. Say hello, Leonardo," he pressed.

Leo swallowed again, and he shut his eyes and lowered his head as he finally muttered…

"…hello."

That seemed to set her off again as she laughed and bounced up and down giddily on the spot, making Leo's eyes fly wide open in a mixture of surprise and complete fear. What did he say? All he did was say 'hello' and she suddenly set off like a bomb. Were all humans like this? He didn't want to find out as he ran out of the room again, squawking as she followed after him again, chasing him outside and into the back garden. Tiger Claw and the other human shared a look, and they shook their heads. "Well, children will be children," Tiger Claw sighed, "I was not expecting you, Oroku Saki…in fact, I had no idea you knew where I lived."

Oroku Saki chuckled. "You should have known by now; I do have over a thousand ninjas at my disposal scouting the forests. It was only a matter of time before one of them came across you, my good friend."

The tiger smirked, beckoning him to follow him towards the kitchen. "You are correct," he said, moving to go and prepare some tea for the both of them, "I must remember to be more careful from now on. Don't want anyone spying on me, eh?"

Saki nodded as he accepted the steaming cup of tea offered to him as they sat at the table. "Yes you should be. You never who might sneak up on you next," he mused. "I see by the swords he carries on his back, that you are training him to become a warrior like yourself, correct?"

Tiger Claw nodded, lapping at his tea. "Yes. I had intended it to be only for self-defence purposes, but now I have come to see that he possess the greater potential to become a deadly assassin…"

They heard a high pitch yelp from the back garden. That was Leonardo again, still being chased by the hyperactive Karai.

"…once he grows out of his childish habits, of course," Tiger Claw finished with a small sigh.

Saki shook his head with a chuckle. "I can see that. But as you said, children will be children. In fact, the reason I sought you out was to ask you something…" He set his cup on the table as he regarded the tiger mutant with a serious expression, the burns on his face making him seem more sinister. "…I have come to ask if you and your son will join my army."

Tiger Claw looked up from his cup in surprise, setting it down as well as he regarded Saki with slight confusion at his sudden offer. "What? You want us both to join you in your army of Foot Soldiers?" he asked, "Why do you ask?"

Saki narrowed his eyes. "From what my sources have reported back to me," he began, "Your son has indeed shown to have great skills, skills that far exceed most other young warriors of his age. Both you and Leonardo would prove to be very useful assets to my slowly growing army. You see, there are people out there that I wish to…eradicate, and with both your skills combined, not only will those who I seek out be dispatched quickly…but my clan would become unstoppable, and at long last become the most feared clan of ninjas in all of Japan. I am training my daughter Karai for the same purposes, and to one day carry on in my place as the leader of the Foot Clan. She and Leonardo will work together on occasion. Also, if you agree to my proposition, I will reward you handsomely for every target successfully wiped out. Are we agreed?" He held out his hand for the tiger to shake.

Tiger Claw stared down at the outstretched palm. Should he accept his offer? He though he was doing fine without his help. He had been receiving messages from other sources for quite some time, and he was getting enough payment to support both himself and Leonardo for the next few months or so. But to be fully accepted into a clan of ninjas as an assassin? And have his son by his side to learn his ways? Was Leonardo ready for that yet? He was still so young and innocent. Could he really take that away from him so quickly? In fact, why was he even thinking about this? Leonardo was nowhere near ready to be out on the battlefields with him yet; he had barely started using his katana, and he had only just met his first human (whom he was still running away from). There would be no way on earth that he would survive their first job…No. He would be ready. Like he had said many times before, Leonardo possessed more skill and strength than he had ever expected for one his age. He could adapt, become smarter and stronger through this experience. And though he has never killed before, he would have to learn, just as Tiger Claw had done before him, that life was not kind…

Though inwardly it pained him to admit it, especially after everything he and his young cub had been through, but it was true…Leonardo would have to grow up.

He reached out and took Saki's outstretched hand and shook it firmly. "Yes. We are agreed."

* * *

"So I guess your favourite colour's blue then, right?"

"Yeah. It's been my favourite since I was little. Master Tiger Claw says that it means loyalty, wisdom and faith. He says that it suits me."

"Huh. I guess it kinda does."

Leonardo and the human girl Karai had finally stopped their pointless chase, and after Karai had convinced him to come out of the tree had had climbed up, they agreed to start over. They had gone back to where the two of them had first met and lay down underneath the sakura tree, looking up at the clear blue skies and the fluffy clouds that moved on above their heads. They had started off by asking each other normal questions, such as what they liked to do to pass the time or what their favourite food was. To both their surprise, they had the same kind of pastimes; practicing katas and meditating. Leo was shocked to know that Karai was also training to become a ninja like him. For a strange human girl, they had a lot in common.

He really liked her!

Karai herself had never seen anything quite like Leonardo before. She had only heard of kappa from the tales that her father told her when she went to bed at nights, and that they were fearsome creatures from other realms. So when her father told her that they were going to the forest to meet two very special creatures, she was beyond excited. The tiger mutant didn't disappoint her at all; he looked_ very _fearsome! But when she had been allowed to wander into the forest and saw the turtle…he didn't look fearsome at all. He was just sat underneath the tree with his eyes closed and his legs folded, completely at peace with his surroundings. When she had actually approached him, she expected him to try and fight her. Instead, he ran away from her, and she gave chase. He wasn't fearsome, but boy was he fun! And after talking to him, she realized that he was just like any other kid, though she was still a year older than him. Also, they both had a lot in common, even though there wasn't much he could tell her, because he had no T.V, but she promised him that he could have her radio.

She really liked him!

"Y'know," Karai began as she turned on her side to look at Leo, "You sound like you have a pretty cool life."

Leo quirked a brow as he looked up her. "How?" he asked, "You're the one who gets to live in the city, has a T.V thing and a radio. I don't even know what a T.V is, and I have to live in the forest."

Karai lay back down on the grass as she sighed, watching the sakura blossoms falling from the tree. "Yeah…at least you're free out here," she said quietly, "…you don't have to be stuck in a boring old building with no one to talk to all day. I mean, this place is way more beautiful than the city, and you can run around and do whatever you want…I can't…"

Leo gazed at her, watching as her expression turned somewhat sad. How could she be sad about something like that? Now, Leo loved the forest, but he had always wanted to see whatever was beyond it, to that place called Tokyo that Tiger Claw always talked about whenever he came back from one of his missions. But he supposed he could see why Karai envied him. The forest made him feel so free, able to do whatever he wanted to _when_ever he wanted. In the forest, he could let out his emotions, his laughter, his love…his hate…

He turned over to look at Karai. "…you can always come and visit me, y'know," he said brightly, "I mean, you're weird and giddy and jumpy and stuff…"

Karai snapped her head to him and narrowed her eyes as she pouted.

But Leo wasn't finished as he continued. "…but you're really cool. And I really like you."

Karai's face softened into a look of surprise, and then a full-fledged smile covered her face. She had never been told by anyone at her school that they liked her, because she was the weird one, the one that no one wanted to talk to because she did martial arts, and she didn't like the things that the other girls in her class liked. Even the boys thought she was weird. But Leo, a turtle from the forest who had never even seen another human before in his life, thought she was cool? He actually liked her?

…wow.

Her grin broadened as she shuffled closer to Leo, and before he could react, she placed firm kiss on his cheek. When she drew away and saw that his face was as red as a tomato, she giggled as she sat up. "I like you too, Leo. Can we be best friends forever?" she asked.

Blinking away the stars that danced across his vision from that little kiss, Leo nodded without hesitation, sitting up as well and taking her hand in his own, squeezing it.

"Yeah. We can totally be best friends!"

* * *

**A/N: Bet you didn't see THAT coming, did you? Haha! I DO NOT OWN BAMBI, JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR! Uh oh, so Tiger Claw plans to bring Leo on a mission with him soon? What will that do to him I wonder? Stay tuned and keep reading to find out!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Here is chapter six! One chapter closer to one that will probably crush you all in feels.**

**I OWN NOTHING!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**_"Fear cuts deeper than swords."_**

**_― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones_**

* * *

He still wasn't sure he should do this. In fact, he was re-thinking his decision upon accepting Oroku Saki's deal. At the time, he thought it would have been good for Leonardo to learn his ways, to finally grow out of his childlike innocence. But after he had gone out into the forest to seek out his son and Saki's daughter, Karai, he had seen something that stopped him in his tracks…

Leonardo and Karai had already become friends.

They were holding hands and playing together, splashing around in the lake and laughing, not caring if they got wet or sick later in the day. In fact, they seemed to not have a single care in the world. And later that afternoon, after Leo had impressed Karai with his knowledge of various languages such as Spanish, German, Italian and Portuguese, (making Tiger Claw roll his eyes; boys will be boys), she and Leo had gone over to where Saki had parked their car, and the girl had brought out a red portable radio, telling Leo that he could have it, much to his delight as the two jumped up and down, laughing together.

Watching them throughout the day, made Tiger Claw think. How could one possibly ruin such innocence within these two children, who wanted nothing more than to play, make friends, go on imaginary journeys together and simply live life the way they had always wanted to? How could Saki wish for his daughter to only learn destruction and death for the sake of merely eliminating enemies? Tiger Claw never did what he did out of pleasure, he only did it to survive; he would never dare tell Leonardo the real meaning behind his work, or how exactly he got his pay to buy the things they needed, though he had no idea that the young turtle actually aspired to one day be like him.

His considerations were challenged further when it was time for Leo and Karai to bid farewell. Leo had bowed respectfully to Saki, following his father's example once again, but when he was about to say goodbye to Karai, he was nearly knocked over when she suddenly rammed into him and hugged him, wrapping her arms around his neck and nearly crushing him with her strength (in fact the boy was nearly lifted off his feet, since she was about an inch or two taller than him).

"I'll come back and visit you again real soon, okay Leo?" she giggled as she finally released him, and she held up her right hand and stuck out her little finger, "Pinky Promise?"

Recovering from her suffocating hug, Leo grinned as he held out his hand…then blinked once as he stared at it. "Um…I-I don't really _have _a pinky," he said, wriggling his smallest finger as he smiled bashfully. Behind him, he heard Tiger Claw Chuckle, making him blush harder.

Despite his obvious embarrassment, Karai giggled. "That's okay! We can always do _this_!" she said, and before Saki could object, she spat into her hand, and held it out to Leo again. "This is called a 'Spit Shake'! It's even better than a Pink Promise because it lasts even longer!" she declared. "Now you've gotta spit into your own hand, and then we shake on it!"

Tiger Claw's eyes widened as she shared a look with Saki, who only groaned and pinched the space between his brows. Leo stared at her in bewilderment at first, but he grinned as he then proceeded to spit into his own hand, and then the two of them shook hands, making the two adults inwardly cringe. "Deal, Karai!" Leo said as they shook on it.

Karai's smile could not be matched.

The two finally waved goodbye as she and her father got into their car and drove away down the dirt path. As soon as they were out of sight, Leo wiped his wet sticky hand on Tiger Claw's hakama, and before the tiger could get his hands on him, the boy was already running and laughing back into the house. Tiger Claw smiled as he watched his little cub run and hide from what was soon about to become his fate.

Maybe he could put his thoughts at bay for a little while longer.

After all, there was no rush in introducing the boy into his world, now was there?

* * *

He wasn't expecting the message to come so soon. Why now? Why only three days after he had made the deal, did a message have to come? Was Oroku Saki testing him? Did he want to see if he would keep to his word? Saki – or also known to his servants and enemies as The Shredder – was known as a man with trust issues, not that he could really be blamed; he _was _a ninja after all. But even so, sending him and his son on such a mission so soon? Was Leonardo really ready for such a thing?

He quickly reread the details of the mission. It had come to him on a shuriken launched from somewhere in the forest and imbedded in the wall of the house. He knew what it was instantly, and he plucked it out of the wall before Leonardo could see it from where he was sat, music playing from his new radio after Tiger Claw had taught him how to use it. He read it again…and _again_…he let out a small snarl through his fangs.

The Shredder didn't want _him_ to make the final kill. He wanted _Leonardo._

This wasn't a test to see if they were loyal to him. It was a test of how true Leonardo's skills really were as a ninja that was going to work under the clan of The Foot. But why? He was only a boy, and he had never left the forest itself ever before. Was Shredder going to the same to his young daughter Karai, who had probably never seen death before either? Was that really the ninja's way? He sighed heavily through his nose, stuffing the paper into his obi as he stood up from where he sat at the table. It seemed that the mutant tiger had no other choice. Perhaps now was the time he taught Leonardo the truth.

It was time for him to learn the price of being a warrior.

He stepped out onto the wooden platform, where Leo was still sitting next to the radio, gently swinging his legs back and forth and humming along to the song. Tiger Claw recognized this song. It was something he listened to as a child; Michael Jackson: Bad. He smiled down at the humming turtle. Now _that _was a classic tune.

Remembering the task at hand, he shook the thought off and cleared his throat, gaining the attention of his pupil as he turned to turn off the radio, and then stood up and turned back to the tiger. "Hai, Sensei?" he said, standing with his hands by his side.

Tiger Claw let out a sigh. It was now or never. He kneeled down on one knee so that he was eye level with the boy. "Leonardo, I have…I have something to tell you, my son," he began.

Leo tilted his head, his brows creasing in confusion. "What is it, father?" he asked.

Tiger Claw placed a large furry paw on his shoulder. "…tonight, I will be taking you with me on one of my missions, by the order of Mr. Saki, Karai's father. He wants to test your skills as a warrior. And I am going to show you…what an assassin really is."

His reaction was exactly what Tiger Claw expected as the child beamed at him, his smile wide and his eyes filled with excitement as he bounced on the spot. "No way! Really, Sensei? You're gonna teach me how to be an assassin like you?! You're gonna show me how to protect the humans too?! Oh that sounds so awesome! Where are we gonna do it? Are we gonna go soon?!" he babbled happily before Tiger Claw finally stopped him by clamping his jaws playfully on his head, as a tiger would do with his cub in the wild. Tiger Claw would usually do this whenever Leo sassed him under his breath, or whenever he refused to go to bed on time, and he never dared to apply any more pressure; with his strength, that would undoubtedly kill Leo. Leo laughed as he tried to get his fathers' jaws off his head, but he knew he wasn't going anywhere. "_Owowowowow! _Okay, okay, okay! I'll stop! Leggo dad!" he giggled, and he was finally released as Tiger Claw licked the top of his head affectionately.

Tiger Claw smiled down at his young cub. "We will go very soon, my son," he said, standing up and folding his hands behind his back, "so go and prepare yourself."

Still grinning, Leo bowed to his father. "Hai Sensei!" he piped up, and then dashed off to get ready. Tiger Claw watched him go, and his smile slowly turned into a frown as he stared down at the red radio. He was still very unsure about all of this. He doubted that _either _of them were ready for this. But he knew it had to be done.

He couldn't hide the truth of the cruelness of the world fromhis young cub any longer.

"I'm ready!"

Tiger Claw was snapped out of his reverie as he turned to find Leonardo stood with his back straight and his hands plastered to his sides, and fully dressed in his gear. His gear consisted of wooden knee and elbow pads, white bandages around his feet and wrists, tape around his palm and fingers, belts strapped across his waist and right shoulder that connected to the scabbards of his twin Katanas. Around his neck, he wore a scarf the same colour of his mask with the tails trailing down the back of his shell. He smiled eagerly up at his sensei as he stood to attention. Tiger Claw smiled back at him as he nodded his head. "Well done. Now let me go and prepare myself, and then we will leave. We will be going into the city first to meet Karai's father," he said as he walked towards his room to gather his weapons.

Leo nodded, "Okay! Hurry up so we can go! I can't wait!" he giggled.

On the other hand, Tiger Claw had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

"…so this is what they call the sewers?"

"Yes, my son, it is. This where the humans send all of their dirty water and waste."

"…ew."

Tiger Claw chuckled despite his own nervousness. "I agree with you on that one."

Since Tokyo was still very bright and busy, even at this time of night, the two mutant were forced to take a different route to Shredder's headquarters, which meant trekking their way through the disgusting, fowl smelling underbelly of the sewers. Usually, Tiger Claw would have been able to simply sneak into the city and use the shadows and alleyways as his cover. This time however, he had his cub with him, and even though his skills in stealth were excellent, he wasn't yet ready to let him put his skills to the test; he would without a doubt become distracted by the lights, the cars, and above all, the millions upon millions of humans. Yes, there were going to be humans in Shredder's lair, but at least he would know (once he told him of course) not to interact with them. With so many humans on the streets, Leo would be all too tempted to go down and talk to them.

He would learn very quickly that not all humans were like his best friend – his _only _friend – Karai.

Lifting his head, Tiger Claw sniffed the air, pushing away the _obvious _smells and singling out one particular scent. They were getting close to the HQ. Now would be a good time to tell him. He stopped in his tracks and turned to his son, who looked up at him expectantly. "Leonardo," he began, using the tone he normally used when they were training, "you must be on your very best behaviour when we enter the building. There may be other humans there, but do not talk to them. When we meet Mr. Saki, you must do what I do. Do not speak to him unless you are spoken to, and you are to address him as Master Shredder. _Wakarimasu ka?"_

Despite his confusion, Leo's expression became firm as he nodded. "_Wakarimashita_," he said.

Hiding the smile of pride, Tiger Claw nodded back as he turned towards the wall, where a ladder was positioned against it, and he climbed up as he removed the manhole cover. He poked his head out of the hole as he scanned the surrounding area. There were no other humans as far as he could see, and he sensed no one else. Taking in a deep breath, he nodded to himself once before he climbed out, extending a hand to help Leonardo out as well. Once Leo was on the ground, Tiger Claw quickly slid the cover back on and took Leo by the hand as they hurried into an alleyway next to the building. Making sure no one was around one last time, he crouched down. "Leonardo, we are going to fly up to the top floor, so I need to carry you. Do not make a sound."

Keeping quiet, Leo nodded as he allowed Tiger Claw to pick him up in his arms, and without warning, he activated the metal contraption on his back – Leo remembered it as something called a Jet Pack – and they were lifted off the ground and flying along the side of the building. Leo let out a squeak as he held on tightly to Tiger Claw's chest, and he looked down in awe upon the city. It was just as beautiful as Karai said it was; there were lights everywhere, and he could hear the music and other strange noises coming from down there. And in the very distance, he could see the peak of Mt. Fuji itself, its outline accented by the light of the full moon hanging above. He let out a little sigh, never taking his eyes off the sight as he rested his head against his sensei's chest.

He wished he could go down there one day…

Tiger Claw finally reached to top floor of the building, and he hovered just in front of a large metal double door. There was a small metal box on the right-hand side with a set of numbers on it. Holding Leo tighter in his left arm, Tiger Claw typed in the code he had memorized by heart, and the code turned green as the double doors swished open. He flew through the doors as they shut behind him, and he lowered himself to the ground, where he finally set Leo down on his own two feet as the boy looked at their new, darker and less pleasant looking surroundings. It appeared that they were in some kind of long hallway, with dimmed lights along the walls, which were painted black, but had the symbol of the Foot Clan along the line. At the very end of the hallway, standing just in front of a large window that beheld the view of the city below, was a large stone throne of sorts. And sitting upon it, was an armoured man with a metal breast plate, bladed shin and shoulder pads, shining gauntlets around his wrists, and a bladed helmet upon his head, covering his facial features…apart from his eyes, which stared at them emotionlessly from where they stood.

Leo felt a shiver run down his spine. Was that _really_ Karai's father? _That _was the man that had been so nice to him the other day? It couldn't possibly be the same man; he was far too scary looking to be him.

"Tiger Claw, Leonardo," Shredder said, his deep voice now low and slightly menacing as he addressed them, "Come forward."

Leo swallowed as he looked up at his father, who wordlessly nodded his head as he walked towards the throne. Watching his father walk so fearlessly up to the scary man, Leo squared his shoulders and flattened his expression as he followed him, remembering what he had been told before they had arrived.

_"When we meet Mr. Saki, you must do what I do. Do not speak to him unless you are spoken to, and you are to address him as Master Shredder…"_

Tiger Claw stopped when he was about a meter away from the throne, and he bent down on one knee before the Shredder, one hand on the ground and the other resting on his knee, keeping his head bowed. Leo saw this, and he instantly mimicked his position, keeping his eyes on the floor at all times; he was too afraid to look at the bladed man anyways.

Shredder spoke again, "I am certain you have read my invitation, Tiger Claw," he said, "You are aware of the circumstances, are you not?"

Tiger Claw nodded, raising his head to look up at the Shredder. "Yes, Master Shredder, I am well aware. The target will be eliminated before dawn arrives. I will ensure it."

Shredder nodded once at the tiger, and then he stood from his throne, his armour rattling as he slowly approached the two mutants. He stopped once he was in front of Leonardo, who's eyes widened ever so slightly as the man's shadow fell over him. He dared not look up. Shredder narrowed his eyes at the young turtle in thought. "And what of Leonardo?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the boy as he addressed Tiger Claw, "Does _he _know of what he is to do on this mission?"

Still bowed before him, Tiger Claw shook his head. "No, Master Shredder, he doesn't. But when the time is right, I will tell him."

Shredder hummed in thought as he continued to stare down at the boy. "Very well. Leonardo. Stand up."

Leo's breath hitched in fear, but he did as he was told as he slowly stood up, standing straight with his hands by his side as he finally looked up. The soulless eyes seemed to pierce him as the Shredder bore his gaze into him.

Shredder could sense his fear; he could practically smell it. And he _should _be afraid, but his attempt at hiding it was admirable for a boy his age. He knelt down before him so that they were eye level with each other. Leo bit his lip to supress the squeak of fear that threatened to come out.

"Leonardo," Shredder said firmly, "this will be your first mission under my command as the leader of The Foot Clan. You will _not _fail me. Understand?"

Leo's hands were trembling as he clenched them into tight fists. "Y-Yes, Master Shredder," he said quietly.

Shredder narrowed his eyes. "Speak up when you are spoken to, child," he growled.

Leo squeezed his eyes shut. "Yes Master Shredder!" he said, louder this time. Next to them, Tiger Claw resisted the urge to swipe his claws at the Shredder for daring to frighten his cub in such a way, but he knew his place.

Shredder continued, "You are not in the forest now, turtle. This is not a training session, or a game. You are working for _me_ now, and you _will _do as I command. You will learn respect and discipline under my authority. This mission is of the greatest importance. If you dare fail me, you _will_ be punished by my hand. Do you understand me?"

His eyes still glued shut, Leo nodded. "Yes Master Shredder!"

Shredder nodded once, and then stood up. Tiger Claw followed suit as Shredder spoke to him, "I will send a dozen of my soldiers along with you as a distraction for the guards posted outside, whilst you and Leonardo take care of business inside the building. Dispatch _anyone _that gets in your way. As for the main target…you know what you must do."

Tiger Claw bowed, and he shot a glance at Leonardo for him to do the same, which he did without hesitation. "It will be done, Master Shredder," he said.

"Do not let appearances fool you, Tiger Claw; he may seem like a normal wealthy dealer, but he is well versed in the ways of martial arts himself. But surely you and your son will be able to handle him, correct?"

Tiger Claw nodded. "Do not fear, Master. He _will_ be dealt with."

With that, Shredder turned his back on them and walked back to sit on his throne. "Very well. You are dismissed. Do not disappoint me." He said. In response, Tiger Claw bowed once more, and he looked down at Leonardo, tapping him on the shoulder and beckoning for him to follow, which he once again complied without hesitation. Once they were outside again and Tiger Claw lowered themselves back to the ground, Leo let out a rush of breath, panting as if he had been holding it. Tiger Claw was instantly at his side, placing his hands on his shoulders.

"Leonardo, are you alright? What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

Leo didn't answer right away as he swallowed a lump in his throat. "…I'm…I'm o-okay, s-sensei," he stuttered. "He…h-he just scared me. But I'll get over it. We can still do this mission, right?"

Now Tiger Claw was more than torn. The poor boy was terrified of that man, and rightly so. His parental instincts were screaming at him to take him home and tell Shredder that he had made the kill…but that would do none of them any good. This was Leo's chance to prove himself as a warrior fit to work under the Foot Clan. He had to push the fatherly side of him away for now, and focus only on the warrior.

Standing up, Tiger Claw placed a hand on his cub's head. "Yes. We can continue."

Leo smiled and nodded.

* * *

**A/N: Oh boy...**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay. This one was hard to write, especially near the end, but I hope it's good enough!**

**Enjoy!**

**I OWN NOTHING!**

**WARNING; THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS VIOLENCE AND BLOOD**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**_"Kids don't remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are."_**

**_― Jim Henson, It's Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider_**

* * *

The air was thick with a heavy silence as they closed in. Even the sounds of cars driving down the busy roads, the sound of humans continuing with their lives, and even the sounds of club music blasting in the distance were tuned right out, becoming nothing more than a tiny whisper compared to the blood rushing through their veins and their hearts pumping with anticipation in their rib-cages as they leapt over the city, hopping from building to building with silent grace like shadows in the night, completely unseen.

There were several Foot Ninjas out with them on this mission, just as Shredder had promised, but despite their skills, they were still very much behind the larger, stronger and faster tiger creature as he powered his way across the rooftops of Tokyo. Even the small young turtle, Leonardo, was slightly ahead of them, though he was having a hard time keeping up with his father. But even though his lungs burned and his legs throbbed and his feet ached, he pushed himself further. He couldn't be a burden by slowing them down.

He couldn't disappoint his father like he disappointed his other one. He didn't want to be left behind again because he wasn't good enough.

And he wouldn't _dare _fail Master Shredder.

Tiger Claw had noticed what Leonardo was trying to do. He kept looking behind him to see if he was alright, and if he was keeping up. He was doing very well for a boy his age on his first mission, and yet he continued to worry about the look in his blue eyes, normally filled with life and wonder, but was now filled with the slight tinge of anger…and fear. He was trying to mask it with determination, as he usually did whenever he caught him practicing his katas in the forests, but as his ever diligent sensei and surrogate father, Tiger Claw could see it as clear as daylight. What happened back at Shredder's headquarters was still getting to him. And his anger from the past was once again resurfacing.

He hoped he would still be able to perform well during the mission.

After several minutes, the two mutants and the ninjas finally reached the appointed area, where a tall office building stood. The building was large, just like any other office building in Tokyo. There were several guards dressed in black posted outside of the estate, standing firm and strong in front of the main doors. All the other employees had gone home already, so there would be no witnesses or unnecessary casualties involved. The ninjas and mutants were all hidden within the shadows of the alleyways opposite the building; none of the guards would see them coming once the soldier on the lookout gave the order, and by then, they would be too late.

As they sat and waited, Tiger Claw quickly swept his eyes over to Leo, who stood by his side with his hands pressed against the edge of the building, panting lightly as sweat dripped down his forehead. He stared down at the guards posted around the building, and then at the building itself.

What were they going to do here? Something about taking care of someone? Was someone sick or something?

Tiger Claw frowned slightly, and he placed a paw on his son's left shoulder, making the boy lift his head up to the tiger and away from the mission for now. "Are you ready, Leonardo?" he asked quietly.

Leo straightened up and nodded once, all fatigue or confusion vanishing from his features in an instant. He couldn't let him see how tired he was.

Though he already knew that Leo was trying to mask his weariness again, Tiger Claw nodded back. "Once we are inside the building, you are to follow my lead. Do not wander away for _any _reason whatsoever, unless I tell you to do so. _Wakarimasu ka?"_

"_Wakarimashita," _Leo replied in a loud whisper without hesitation.

A bird call from the building opposite alerted them. The lookout had made the signal for them to move in. Tiger Claw drew in a deep breath through his nose, and let it out again.

It was finally time.

He looked over to the ninjas at his side and nodded once. They returned the nod, and without a sound, they leapt out from one shadow to the next, until they were right above the guards. Then without warning, they struck.

Though the guards looked as if they could fight, they stood no chance against the ninjas, and were taken utterly by surprise. It was over in seconds. No sounds were made and no blood was spilled, but all were disposed of.

When the ninjas below gave Tiger Claw the signal, he picked up Leo and held him firmly in his arms as he used his jetpack to fly to the top of the building, whilst the ninjas had to use grappling hooks to zip wire their way across the gap. Once they landed, Tiger Claw set Leo back on his feet, and after quickly drawing out his laser gun to blast the lock off of the roof fire escape door, he let the ninjas through first. After making sure each one of them was inside the building, he motioned Leonardo to go ahead of him, which he did so without making a sound.

Tiger Claw shut the door behind them, and he led the way down the stairs and into the office complex. He peered around the corner, putting his hand out for Leo to stop behind him. All the lights were out for the night, which would benefit them a great deal, but the security cameras positioned along the walls, predictably enough, were still on. The other Foot ninjas had already fanned out across the building, taking out the other body guards or office security and locking down the building so that no one could enter or escape. There was only one way those cameras could be taken care of. He looked down to where Leonardo stood behind him. "Leonardo, do you have your _shuriken_?" he whispered.

Looking up at him, Leo nodded, digging into his belt as he pulled out several _shuriken_, holding them up so that his father could see them. "Right here," he whispered back.

Tiger Claw nodded, and then gestured the cameras along the walls. "Throw them at the cameras on the walls, otherwise we will be spotted." He knew he could trust Leo's aim. He had seen him practicing endlessly in the forests the other day, and he had managed to hit every single target.

He mused that Leo always aimed for perfection in everything he did.

Nodding silently, Leo took out one _shuriken_, his eyes narrowing in deep concentration as he aimed at one camera, and in the blink of an eye, he sent it flying. The camera sparked as it shut down, the screen going dark. He launched his last few, and the results were the same, all cameras going black within mere seconds. With that, they were free to move through the hallway, and Tiger Claw sent Leo a nod of approval. The look on the cub's face was enough to melt his heart, but he had to remain focussed on the current objective. Silently, the two of them moved through the office complex undetected, with Tiger Claw stopping once or twice to sniff the air. Their target was supposed to be on this floor in one of the main offices. He just needed to find it…

There. The lights were still on, and he was sat in his chair reading a document at his desk. His office was guarded only by a glass wall around him. He had no idea he had just been infiltrated, did he? Money loving scum like him never really pay any mind to anyone but themselves. He wouldn't even know that the tiger was there until it was –

Wait. This wasn't _his_ killing to make, not this time.

It was Leonardo's.

He looked down at his young cub, who was staring at the slightly built man in an office uniform sat in his chair in slight wonder, and he frowned. After all the indecision and hesitation he had been through, he finally made up his mind. He still couldn't do this. He just _couldn't_. Even if it meant going against Shredder's bidding. He had no idea how he had raised his daughter, but with Leonardo, it was different. He _knew_ that Leonardo wasn't ready now. Maybe he would be as he got older and wiser, but not now.

He didn't train him to be a killer. He trained him to be a _survivor_.

"…Leonardo," he whispered, kneeling down so that he was eye level with the turtle, "stay here and do not come out, no matter what you see or hear. Do you understand?"

Leo nodded his head in response, a twinge of fear rising up inside of him as he hid around the corner, keeping close to the shadows and out of the path of light coming from the office. What was going on? Why did he have to hide? Was it because his sensei was going to fight that man in the chair? He didn't understand what was going on, and it was starting to scare him…just like how the Shredder had scared him before.

Making sure that Leo was safely hidden in the darkness, Tiger Claw narrowed his eyes as he turned to face the glass. And without warning, he finally pounced and smashed through the glass wall, sending shards flying across the room and hallways. Leo let out a little squeak of alarm from where he sat around the corner, covering his head with his arms and squeezing his eyes shut. The man in the office let out a scream as he took shelter underneath his desk. Once he looked back up again, he stared with wide eyes at the creature stood before him. What on earth was that thing? It was neither man nor animal…and it was pointing a gun at him.

Tiger Claw let out a low growl as he glared at the human cowering before him. This man was supposed to have knowledge of martial arts? How pathetic; money must have made him weak, as it does with all humans in the very end. "Your time has come human," he said lowly, baring his teeth to the human, "Prepare yourself, for I am here by the order of Master Shredder to destroy you for your treachery against The Foot Clan."

Upon hearing the Shredder's name, the man's frightened appearance turned into surprise, before it turned into smug realization. He finally crawled out of his hiding place, dusting his suit off and straightening his tie as he regarded the tiger with a conceited smile, no longer afraid of him as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "I see," he said, and then chuckled as the creature's hard expression shifted slightly into confusion. "So you are the one sent to kill me? I have been expecting you for some time now…however," he paused to look at his silver watch on his wrist, and then he smirked, "…I was expecting you to come a little later. You're early."

Tiger Claw snarled, not lowering his gun as he glared at the man. He was actually _expecting _them to come and kill them this entire time? So this smug little warthog was fully aware of his misdeeds to the Foot Clan? He huffed in annoyance, and he put his gun away, and instead reached back for his sword on his back. "So, I trust that you are fully aware of what I am about to do to you, correct?" he growled, pointing the tip of his sword dangerously at the human. "You know that this will not be as painless as I had originally planned it to be."

The man once again, much to Tiger Claws' irritation, scoffed smugly as he took two steps towards him, fiddling with something his pocket as he stared the tiger down. "Yes, I know what you are going to do," he replied flippantly, "and I know that you know over a million ways of carrying it out." Then a dangerous smirk appeared on his face, a smirk that made Tiger Claws' insides twist slightly in dread. What was this man planning? "…but I am also aware," he continued, "of several ways to stop you." Before he could react, Tiger Claw was suddenly blinded as then man whipped out a ball of powder from his pocket and threw it into his face. The big cat's eyes were burning, and he hacked as some of the powder entered his lungs, bringing him to his knees. The man only watched him for a moment, making sure he wasn't getting up, and then he hurried back to his desk, pulling out a hidden blade from underneath it. He smirked coldly as he held the blade up, ready to bring it down upon the tiger's head.

From where he hid in the darkness, Leo's blue eyes widened in horror as he watched the human grow closer and closer to his blinded sensei. He had seen everything up until this point, and his mind was reeling with questions. What was going on? What was that man planning to do –?

Now only one thought found its place in Leo's mind. It screamed at him as if it were a banshee, drowning out and overwhelming the tiny voices that told him no, told him to remember what Tiger Claw told him to do.

**_Go_**_._

In a heartbeat, Leo was on his feet, running towards the man as he unsheathed a katana and slid to a stop in front of Tiger Claw, blocking the human's downward swing as metal clashed against metal. The man's expression twisted from smug victory into wide eyed confusion as his blade met the blade of a mall masked turtle creature. Where the hell did this thing come from? Well, whatever it was, it was in his way, protecting the assassin tiger, and he couldn't have that. "Move out of the way, creature!" he seethed, pressing his blade harder against the turtles' katana.

Leo's eyes were wide and full of fear as he stared up at the man before him, and his teeth gritted as he strained with effort to keep his blade upright against the stronger push of the human. He had never been so afraid, not since he was attacked by those scary men in the forest over five years ago. He hadn't been able to defend himself back then, for he was only small and weak, and if Tiger Claw hadn't been there, he was sure he would have died. Their faces were burned into his memory ever since that day, and no matter how much he meditated, they would always be there, their strange empty voices echoing in his ears, staring down at him with soulless eyes, reaching out for him with those pale, skeletal claws that would rip him apart…

Suddenly, the office room vanished, and he found himself back in that same spot in the forest, surrounded by the darkness of the night. The humans' form seemed also began to twist and morph into something else…and Leo's eyes widened further and his mouth fell open, letting out a gasp of utter terror as he found himself staring into the face of one of those men from that night. It was _here_. He was here to kill him and his father!

Leo wouldn't let it! He wasn't going to let that thing touch him or his sensei! He wasn't a little weakling anymore! He would finally rid this creature from his life for good! His expression turned from horrified to one full of unequalled rage, his eyes losing their childlike glow as they became dark and angry, and his mouth twisting into a snarl as he let out a low animalistic growl born from living with a tiger. The creatures' face became both confused and slightly scared as Leo suddenly thrust himself forwards, swiping his katana to the side and causing the man to lose his footing and stumble to the side, allowing Leo to lunch several angry kicks and punches into his face and stomach before he finally fell to the floor.

He attempted to get up, his head reeling and his nose bleeding after a blow to the face, but then he was forced back to the ground again as the turtle's foot stomped on his stomach, pinning him to the ground. He looked up at the turtle, who was panting both from the effort of his attacks, and out of a fit of rage. He watched as the little creature lifted his sword, the tip hovering just above his chest. His eyes widened in horror and realization.

"No! No!" he begged, "Please! I-I will repent for my betrayal! I don't want to die! _Please_!"

But Leo saw nothing but the stone face of the soulless creature as he prepared to bring down his blade. He could hear it pleading for him to spare it, but he didn't care. It wouldn't have spared him back then, would it? So why should Leo?

The effects of the powder had finally worn off as Tiger Claw shook his head to clear the haze, and he looked up to find…what?! Leonardo was there, standing on top of the human with his katana just above his chest. His eyes widened. "Leonardo! Stop!" he shouted, quickly getting to his feet as he moved to where Leo stood.

He had to stop him. He couldn't let him kill the human. Why was he even standing on him like that? Was it actually his intention to kill him?!

Leo heard nothing, and without further warning, his blade came down.

Dark liquid was suddenly spurting everywhere when the tip of the katana pierced the man's chest, and it splashed into Leo's face, causing him to stumble backwards off of the man's chest, leaving his katana lodged in his neck. He blinked rapidly in surprise as he found himself back in the office room. Confusion creased his features, and he turned back to where the creature was –

Leo's eyes widened and he let out a gasp when he saw that it was _not _the strange monster from the forest lying on the floor. It was the human that was going to hurt Tiger Claw…there was blood all over the floor; the stench filled his nose and sickened him. It was soaking into the carpet as it just kept pooling out from the wound…

…and that was _his _katana, half covered in it, sticking out of his body.

Leo turned very, _very_ pale as he stared at the body. The man wasn't moving at all, apart from his hand twitching by his side on the blood covered floor. His mouth hung open, and his eyes were wide open and staring up at nothing. Leo trembled with fear. Had _he_ done this? He must have done, because that was his sword in his chest, but he hadn't been fighting him. He was fighting the creature from his nightmares…unless…

Unless that was just what he had _seen_ whilst he…

Leo lifted a shaking hand to his face, and he drew it back and let out a horrified gasp and stumbled backwards on weak legs when he found blood on his fingers. He looked down at himself, and found more of it splattered across his chest and across his arms. He trembled violently as he covered his mouth with hands before he could release his last meal. He turned his horrified eyes to look behind him, and Tiger Claw was standing simply stood there, staring down at him with desolate eyes and a deep frown that only spoke of immense guilt. Silence descended upon them both for what seemed like years, until finally Leo managed to find his voice, but even then it was no more than a frightened little whisper. "…did…did I do that?" he quivered, hoping beyond all hope that all of this wasn't actually real, that the man wasn't leaking all over the floor, that his sword wasn't in his throat, and that he was just having another bad dream.

Tiger Claw said nothing for a long moment. This was _exactly _what he wanted to avoid, what he had wanted to spare him from doing…and yet he failed. For the first time in their five years living together, training together, and growing to love each other, he had failed his little cub. He walked slowly up to his son, bent down on one knee and placed a soft paw on his shoulder. He looked into his fear filled eyes, and he said…

"…yes. You did this. This was what Master Shredder wanted you to do. I was going to do it instead, to spare you from seeing all of this…but for whatever reason, you disobeyed me and somehow…you killed him yourself. This is what I do for a living. This is what an assassin is; they kill people. _I _kill people…"

Leo just stared at him, his eyes still wide. So _this_ was what an assassin was? All this time, his sensei, his father, was going out into the city, _killing _people for money…and he had wanted to be like him. "…oh…" he whispered simply, and he slowly turned his head back to the bloodied motionless body of the human that he now knew he killed. "…okay."

Then without warning, his eyes fluttered closed and he collapsed, falling backwards into Tiger Claw's open arms. Worriedly, Tiger Claw held him so that he could check his pulse. He hadn't thought of the possibility that Leo could have a weak heart, and the shock and fear from the sight of blood and killing someone could kill him…

He sighed in relief when he finally found a steady pulse. Thank god. At least he had not failed him by letting him die. He looked back at the body, where the sword still stuck out of the dead man. That would be sight Leonardo would never forget for the rest of his life, that much he knew. Tiger Claw still remembered his first killing; the look in their eyes, the fear he could smell coming off of him in waves…the blood coating his hands, face and chest after the deed was done. It still haunted him to this day, but he learned not to hang onto the past, for there was always the next mission, and the next victim. Leonardo would have to go through and learn the same…

Holding his son firmly in one arm, Tiger Claw stood up and walked over to the body, pulling out the sword in one fluid movement and wiped off the blood on the man's shirt. Sheathing it in his own belt for now, he reached into his pocket and took out his radio, pressing the button and speaking into it. "The target has been disposed of. All Foot Ninja fall back and report back to Master Shredder's headquarters." As he put the radio away and turned to leave, he looked back one last time at the body, narrowing his eyes in anger, before he fled the room quickly, not waiting for the authorities to arrive before they had the chance to leave.

As he ran from the office and back the way they had come, he looked down at the young turtle still unconscious in his arms. His face was not peaceful, not like he usually was when he slept.

And he feared he would never be at peace again…

* * *

His gaze as cold and lifeless as ever, he stared down at the two mutants kneeling before him from where he sat at his throne. They had just arrived back from their mission…and he smelled them before he saw them. Well, he smelled the turtle that is. When they finally stepped into the light, Shredder could clearly see the blood splattered all over the child's front half, the haunted look in his eyes, and his body trembling with fear as he knelt down in front of his master. _That_ was what he expected. The blood…not so much. Nonetheless, it was proof that they had completed their mission. And proof that Leonardo had done the killing, just as he had ordered. Maybe now he would finally grow out of those petty childish habits of his. There was no room for that when becoming a warrior. "Where there any unnecessary casualties or witnesses, Tiger Claw?" he asked darkly.

From where he knelt, Tiger Claw looked up at his master and shook his head. "No Master Shredder, the mission went without any civilian involvement," he replied. He cast a glance at Leonardo, who kept his head down, and his wide eyes focused on the floor.

Shredder nodded as he stood up from his throne, picking up the briefcase at his side as he strode towards them, once again stopping in front of Leonardo, who froze completely as soon as his shadow fell upon him. "Leonardo," he said, making the turtle flinch ever so slightly, "stand up."

Swallowing thickly, Leo did as he was he told, but he just couldn't bring himself to look up at the bladed man standing above him. He soon found that he didn't have a choice as Shredder knelt down on one knee, setting the briefcase down beside him, and a gloved hand gripped the boy's chin, forcing him to look up at him. He kept his hands to his sides as he bit his lip, his eyes going wide at the sight of the metal masked man staring into his very soul.

Shredder's eyes narrowed. "...you have completed your first mission for The Foot Clan, Leonardo," he said lowly, "…well done. But do not expect your next missions to be as easy as that. And do not think for a _second_ that I will not punish you if you ever fail me. Understand?"

Leo faltered, "Y-Yes Master Shredder!" he said as loud as he dared, just wanting for him to let him go, for his grip was like a vice. "I-I won't fail you, sir!"

Shredder nodded as he finally released his chin. "Good," he said, standing up and motioning for Tiger Claw to do the same as he handed him the briefcase, "expect the next assignment to arrive within a few months. Make sure you are both ready."

Tiger Claw bowed once in respect, and Leonardo did the same. "We will. Thank you, Master Shredder," he said, before they both turned and finally left. As soon as they were back outside the building, and landed on solid ground after using his jetpack to lower them safely, Leo suddenly lashed out and wrapped his arms tightly around Tiger Claw's legs, his grip like that of a vice as he buried his face into his leg. And Tiger Claw knew he heard a sniffle, though the child tried his best to stifle it. The cat frowned sadly, and placed a comforting paw on his head, stroking it lightly. He said nothing, because there was nothing he needed to say. He knew his pain, and he knew it would take time for him to ever find peace again, but until then it was Tiger Claw's duty as his sensei…no, it was his duty as his _father_ to ensure that he helped him through it, no matter what it took.

He would let no one, not even the Shredder, take the Leonardo he had come to love away from him.

It was a long silent walk through the sewers and back into the forest. Leonardo hadn't said a single word since they left Shredder's headquarters, and his face was as blank as paper. There was no laughter, no sadness, nothing in his eyes at all, and Tiger Claw feared that he had already lost him, if not for the fact that when they entered the sewers, Leo reached up and took hold of the hand not holding the briefcase, and had yet to let go.

That was a sign that there was still hope yet in getting him back.

They walked hand in hand through the familiar paths until they reached their hidden home. Tiger Claw looked down at his blank faced child, and despite the situation, he offered him a kind smile. "Leonardo, why don't you go and wash yourself of this…filth, and then get ready for bed?" he suggested, though it was nearly two in the morning, but even so, they both needed their rest. Leo only responded with a numbed nod of his head before slowly and reluctantly letting go of his hand and making his way to the bathroom.

Tiger Claw watched him go and he sighed, stepping into the house and into their bedroom, setting the briefcase in the closet for now as he changed into his night clothing and set up the futon, and he sat down on it as he waited for Leo to come out. Leonardo always had trouble with sleeping alone at nights, for whenever he woke up to find no one there, he would start to panic, thinking that he had been left alone again. That's why he and Tiger Claw always shared a bed, or if not the same bed, in the same room. Tiger Claw now wondered if he would have even greater problems now, after everything he had seen and done that night…not only had he lost his real family years ago, and that he believed they had abandoned him as his hatred began to grow, but now he had taken a life, and had no idea why he had done it, nor did he know the reason why the man deserved it.

He prayed that there was still hope in getting his little cub back…

* * *

Days had passed since that night, and Leonardo was suffering.

He didn't show it, but it was clear to his father that it was still on his mind, eating away at him from the inside out. He barely ate, he barely slept due to nightmares occurring almost every night, and he even refused to train, which was even more of a shock; the boy was always so enthusiastic about training, in fact he seemed to cherish every moment of their sessions together, and would then go out and practice some more. Now however, he simply woke up, got dressed and wandered out into the forest, sitting underneath the tree he always meditated under and staring out into space before coming back at around midday or later.

One of the most worrying things, besides him not eating much or sleeping much, was the fact that he never spoke. Not just to him, but at all.

Did Leonardo hate him now? It was hard to tell. When he had finally found out what Tiger Claw did to earn the money they needed to survive, the look in his eyes were filled with confusion, fear…and if the tiger had read him right, a hint of betrayal.

He had tried his very best as a father, he really did…but maybe he just hadn't been good enough.

His thoughts were interrupted when Leo reappeared from the bathroom ready for bed. He had taken off everything but his mask, and Tiger Claw assumed he had put the rest of his gear and clothing in the washing for tomorrow. His face was just as blank as before as he sat down beside the tiger, but he didn't lie down. He simply stared straight ahead of him, as if there was someone else there. Tiger Claw had a feeling he knew who it was.

Sighing, he put a paw on his shoulder. "Leonardo, my son," he said, snapping Leo out of his trance as he looked up at him, and he continued as he looked off to the side, "I…I hope you can understand why I do this. I didn't do it simply for the pleasure of killing, nor did I do it for Shredder. I only did it to survive when I was on my own. But now, I do it to provide for you, for the both of us to continue living. I am never proud of what I do. Everytime I shed blood, I feel guilt, and I remember each and every one of their faces. But you must understand that there is nothing else I can do, otherwise I would have stopped long ago. This is the path we walk now, and we cannot turn back…please, do not hate me for this. I never wanted you to experience this…"

He looked back down at Leonardo, and he was surprised to find that his face was creased with thought as he looked down at his hands, staying silent. After several moments, Leo finally looked up at him, and he said;

"…I don't hate you."

Tiger Claw started as his brows creased in confusion. "Hm?"

Tears appeared and began to roll down Leo's cheeks as he looked back down at is hands and continued, "I hate what you _do_. I hate what _I_ did. I hate Shredder…and I hate _myself_. I'll always hate it, because it's wrong. We shouldn't be killing people or stealing anything. And…and I know you hate it too, but you're only doing it so we can live. So…so I'll have to as well. I don't want to, but I will…for you. Just like you're doing it for me…"

Leo then looked up again, and gave his father a sad but sincere smile. "…I hate what you do. But I don't hate _you. _I love you, daddy."

And without another word, Leo stood up and rammed himself into the tiger, wrapping his arms around his neck as he buried his face into his fur, sniffling and squeezing his eyes shut as the tears rolled down his face and soaked into his father's fur. Tiger Claw hesitated for a moment before returning the hug with a strong, unyielding one of his own. He felt a lump form in his throat and a stinging behind his eyes, but he fought it back. Words could not describe what the mutant tiger was feeling in that moment; the fact that his cub would understand, the fact that he would keep going and not let it bring him down and stay strong, was something that nearly overwhelmed him. It would be hard for Leo to adjust, but he knew, with every single fibre of his being, that he as his father would be there every step of the way.

"…I love you too, my son," he said at last, pulling away so that he could lick the top of his head affectionately, "never forget that."

Despite the tears, Leo smiled and nodded. "I won't, dad," he replied shakily.

And that night, as father and son slept together, with his father's arms wrapped around him in his strong, protective embrace, Leo found himself able to finally sleep. Though he hadn't found true peace yet, with his father by his side, he knew they would find a way.

Together.

* * *

**A/N: Crying, crying, crying!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: SORRY FOR THE WAIT! I SUCK!**

**I wanted to explore Tiger Claw and Leo's relationship as a teen in this chapter, so the meeting of his real family has yet again been delayed. SORRY! Next Chapter I promise!**

**Also, one of the scenes here is based off a scene from a move called HANA. It's pretty good, but a lot of violence.**

**I WON NOTHING.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**_"It's a father's duty to give his sons a fine chance."_**

**_― George Eliot, Middlemarch _**

* * *

_7 years later, September 2012… _

His lungs burned harshly both from all of the smoke he had inhaled as he ran, panting heavily from the exertion…and from the near unbearable, fiery pain that never seemed to cease, but he would have to ignore it. If he stopped for even a moment, he knew he would be burned alive, along with the entire warehouse and its many occupants. This next mission was supposed to be simple, just like almost every other mission that The Shredder sent them on; find the target, eliminate any obstacles, dispose of said target, and then retreat and report back. He knew the man was an arms dealer, but he hadn't expected him to be a pyromaniac! And as for that other, _strange_ assassin with the sword…that wretched thing would pay for what he did to him. He would make sure of that, unless he too perished in the fire along with his supposed target.

He and his charge ran side by side, avoiding the flames as the intense heat beat down upon them and the smoke clouded their vision. The warehouse was on its last stages of life as it began to fall and crumble around them, chunks of burning wood and melting metal dropping from above, and it took all of their agility to avoid the tumbling debris as they made a break for the exit, fighting simply to breathe as the smoke filled their lungs. Just as they were only inches away from freedom, the support beams above gave way, and the over-sized mutant tiger found himself suddenly half buried in burning wood, trapped with no way of freeing himself as the weight nearly crushed his legs. He growled and grunted as he tried to pull himself from the wreckage, digging his claws into the concrete ground, but to no avail. He could feel the fire pricking and burning his fur the longer he stayed trapped beneath the timber.

This was it. He was done for.

"_Sensei!"_

Tiger Claw looked up to find his pupil running back to him, his blue scarf draped over his mouth and nose to block out the smoke that was slowly suffocating him. As soon as he reached him, he immediately began to tear away at the wood crushing him with his bare hands, the fabric around his hand ripping as he worked as quickly as he could, but Tiger Claw knew he wasn't going to make it. He couldn't let the boy die here, not after everything. He had to leave without him, or he too would burn. He freed one paw and put it out in an attempt to push the boy away. "Go! You cannot stay here! Go on, get out of here!" he shouted over the noise around them, be it the sounds of the fire or the agonized screams of those now burning alive.

But the boy pushed his paw away from him and shouted back defiantly, "_No_! Not without you!" His voice was cracking, almost as if he were choking or on the verge of tears as he pulled at the wood. He didn't care if he suffocated. He didn't care if he was burned. All that mattered was that he got his sensei out of there alive. He couldn't let him die.

He couldn't be left alone. Not again.

To both their liberation, the mountain of wood became lose enough for Tiger Claw to finally slip through, though his legs were now very weak and slightly burned as he struggled to walk properly. The boy saw his struggle, and he hooked his arm around his shoulders as he quickly but carefully guided him outside the warehouse and then through the dark alleyways, gaining as much distance from the smouldering building as possible. He struggled to help the tiger up the stairs of a fire escape, but eventually they were finally able to land on the roof of the building, safely away from the flames. As soon as he released Tiger Claw, the boy fell onto his hands and knees, panting heavily before going into a full blown coughing fit, tugging his blue scarf from his face as he struggled to breathe right. Tiger Claw was instantly by his side, patting the back of his shell as he gazed down at him in concern. They were both covered in ash and splatters of blood, but he could care less of their state of cleanliness at the moment. "You were foolish to come back for me," he scolded, placing his hands on his shoulders as he helped him stand up once his coughing simmered down. "You could have been killed, Leonardo."

Taking a shaking breath as he wiped sweat off his brow, Leonardo looked up at the tiger with misty eyes through his blue mask. "…but you could have…as well," he huffed, his voice still cracking, and Tiger Claw couldn't tell if it was from the smoke inhalation, or if it was from the fear. "…I-If I let you die…I-I'd be a-alone again…I c-couldn't live on like that." He bent forwards and panted heavily again as he rested his hands on his knees. "Besides…I'd never leave you anyways…"

Tiger Claw looked down at him in surprise, but then and understanding smile replaced it as he lifted his hand patted the turtle's head. "In that case, thank you. And well done, my son," he said proudly, "though I would prefer next time, you'll be more gentle when dragging me out."

Leo looked back up at him and huffed a laugh. "You're welcome, you over-sized sarcastic cat," he joked, before his blue eyed gaze wandered behind him. His eyes grew very large and he let out a startled yelp. "Oh my god, Sensei, your _tail_!" he cried, pointing at Tiger Claw's backside with a shaking green finger.

Tiger Claw was well aware of the new state of his tail, but even so he turned around to look at the damage. It was worse than he thought; all that remained of his once long, furry tail was a short, bloodied stub. He grimaced at the state of it. It looked like it was going to need some form of stitching when they got back, but it was not nearly as bad as it could have been. He turned back to Leo and smirked. "It's just a flesh wound, Leonardo, there's no need to worry. It will heal over time. But that wretched man _will _pay the price for taking it," he said with a little growl as he began walking to the other side of the building, and he crouched down, preparing to take off. "Come now. We must report back to Master Shredder."

At the mention of their master, Leo lost his surprised expression as he instead frowned deeply. Ever since he first met him, not as Oroku Saki, Karai's nice father, but as the ruthless cold hearted ninja master that he was forced to serve, Leonardo instantly hated him. Every time they were sent off on another mission to kill more and more people, or forced to be 'tested' on his skills and his loyalty to that shell of a man, or had to look into those dark, soulless eyes, he _loathed_ it. Every minute spent within fifty feet of that man sickened him to the very core. If it weren't for the fact that they had no other choice, Leo would have already killed him himself. And it was because of him that Leo even knew what it was like to kill. Shredder had ruined him, and only at the age of eight years. He was probably the only person he wouldn't actually mind killing.

But if he did, he knew he would lose a very important friend of his in the process.

His _only _friend.

He let out a long sigh of resignation, rolling his eyes as he made his way over to Tiger Claw and climbing onto his back and hanging onto his shirt for support. "Fine," he said lowly, "but if he expects me to offer him any respect this time, he has another thing coming. I'd really like to just grab my katana and stick it right up his –"

"_Leonardo_," Tiger Claw growled in warning as he activated his jet-pack and flew off into the night with the turtle clinging onto him for dear life, "You _will_ respect him, unless you want to lose your arm, or worse, your _head_."

Leo scoffed. "He can take my eyesight for all I care, so I wouldn't have to look at his gross face," he replied, and then fell silent as he gazed down at the night-time city of Tokyo, watching the millions of people as they walked and laughed together, the brilliant shimmering, blinking lights of shops, restaurants and bars, and the whimsical clothes shops he could catch a glimpse of. He frowned in thought as he continued to gaze, almost longingly. If Shredder ever did decide to take his eyesight away from him, he would miss seeing the beautiful city, the forest he lived in…and he would always be in darkness.

The darkness scared him more than Shredder did. It made him feel as if he was alone, completely isolated and cold…just like that night…

Leo shivered, but not from the cold breeze that swept over them as they flew. "…on second thought," he admitted quietly, "I think I'll keep my eyes."

Tiger Claw chuckled. "I thought you would say that."

* * *

He hadn't even properly passed the door to their room as Leo flopped onto the futon like a sack of potatoes, letting out a long, over-dramatic sigh, hugging the pillow to his face as he rolled onto his shell. "That was hell…" he moaned. After a long night of fighting crazed arms dealers and henchmen, having to report back to Shredder again, and then taking a long bath to wash off the grime and blood from his skin and shell, all he wanted to do was sleep…

…and eat.

He sniffed the air, and smelled the sweet aroma of tea and fried fish filling into the room. Oh yeah, Tiger Claw was making dinner tonight this time. From the smell of it, it looked like it was fried fish again. Leo didn't really mind though; he liked fish, mostly salmon or whatever sushi they could get from the markets whenever Tiger Claw went out for groceries (he looked more human that Leo, so he could get away with going out without being suspected of much). And they had finished work early today for once, so why skip dinner when they night was still young?

Shrugging to himself, he finally stood up, leaving the warm pillow and futon behind as he stepped out of their bedroom and into the living room, where Tiger Claw was already knelt down at the table, lapping at his skimmed milk. Leo smiled fondly. "Once a feline, always a feline," he teased as he walked into the kitchen to grab himself a fried fish from the stove and make himself some tea.

Tiger Claw smirked at the remark as he watched him go. "The same could go for you, _turtle_," he teased right back, "always taking your time in the shower. You'll waste our water, you know."

"We live in a _forest_," Leo snickered from the kitchen as he began making himself some tea, "we don't even pay bills. And besides, _you're _the one who always eats all the fish. I'm surprised you even left one for me this time, you greedy-ass cat!"

"Watch your tongue, child," he chuckled. But then his voice took a more serious tone as he looked down at his cup. "But in all seriousness, Leonardo," he said, "you must pay more attention whilst in battle. I saw what happened with that one man that had managed to sneak up on you. You were lucky he was disarmed beforehand, or you would have been dead. A warrior must _always_ be on his guard. Do not forget that."

Inside the kitchen, Leo frowned deeply. Great; he had noticed his little slip-up. That was exactly what he needed; more failures. But then that gave him more reason to push himself, perfect every skill, fighting style or technique that he could. Not for the likes of The Shredder, but for his father. That would ensure that he never left him. "_Hai_, _Sensei_. I'll do better next time," he said, taking the fish from the stove and setting on a plate with his steaming cup of tea.

Tiger Claw lapped his milk again. "Say that again, but in Spanish. You're also falling behind in your languages, so as punishment for your recklessness today, you shall recite that for me," he said.

Leo bit down on his lip to restrain the growl. "_Lo haré mejor la próxima vez_," he said as he walked into the living room and sat down at the table opposite Tiger Claw.

Tiger Claw raised a brow. Was he actually giving him attitude? He huffed a little laugh at that. "Good. Now in German."

Leo narrowed his eyes as he picked up his chopsticks and took a bite out of his fish. "_Ich werde es besser machen beim nächsten Mal," _he recited after swallowing.

Tiger Claw fought the smirk. The boy was getting testy. Leo actually loved learning different languages; it was his way of getting in touch with the rest of the world, something that he would never be able to do by himself, not as a mutant turtle. But he absolutely _hated _it when Tiger Claw used it as a method of discipline. "Italian," he said.

Leo seemed to glare down at his food. "_Farò meglio la prossima volta_," he forced out.

This was getting really fun now. "Japanese."

"_Watashi wa yoriyoi jikai o okonau chau_," he said automatically, since Japanese was their first language. But the way Leo said caused Tiger Claw to actually fight back the grin that threatened to appear as he took a bite out of his fish.

"Portuguese."

Leo then looked up at him, his expression unreadable as he carefully set down his chopsticks. He looked calmly up at his father. "_Você quer que eu quebrar seu __**pescoço**_?" he asked, an angry pout now creasing his features.

Y_ou want me to break your __**neck**__?_

Tiger Claw raised a brow at Leo as the young turtle stared him with a pout. Tiger Claw narrowed his amber eyes down at him as he slowly set his cup down on the table. Neither of them said anything for what seemed like hours, simply glaring each other down like a hunter and its prey. The only sounds heard were the chirping of cicadas outside in the darkness and the ticking of the clock on the wall.

Leo smirked.

Tiger Claw smirked back. "No, I _don't_ want you to break my neck," he said, reaching out a paw and rubbing the top of Leo's head affectionately. The two of them would often throw death threats at each other as a way of teasing, and then smirk or laugh to show that they really _were_ just kidding. "Though that was a little harsh, don't you think?" he joked.

Leo grinned, reaching up and resting his hand over the paw on his head, an old habit he hadn't yet grown out of. "Not really. You were annoying me," he sassed, a smug grin gracing his features.

Tiger Claw shook his head. "Don't make me bite you again," he chuckled, giving Leo's head on last rub before standing up, taking his dishes into the kitchen to wash. "Finish eating and then get ready for bed," he said over his shoulder as he made his way to the sink, "you have training in the morning, remember?"

"…can I sleep in?" Leo squeaked with a pleading grin, "…or even…have the day off?"

"No."

"_Please_? Just this once!"

"That's what you said last time."

"But tomorrow's my birthday! And I swear this is the _last_ time!"

"That's what you said last time, too. And just because it's your birthday doesn't mean you can be lazy."

_"…Ue ni cherī o shite kudasai?"_

"No, even with cherries on top."

"Come _oooooon_! You get to sleep in _too_! Have a nice catnap?"

From where he stood at the kitchen sink, Tiger Claw sighed heavily and shook his head with a tolerant smile as he washed the dishes. It was true; they both really needed their rest. After all, they had at least another three months until their next mission, and tomorrow _was_ a special day for the young turtle. He supposed they could afford a day off this time. He turned back to where Leo was sat at the table, only to find he was right in front of him on his knees, his hands clasped together as he looked at him with big, beady, pleading eyes. Tiger Claw sighed again and rolled his eyes. "Very well," he relented, "we can have the day off."

Leo then grinned triumphantly as he nodded. "Awesome! Thanks! Goodnight!" he cheered as he practically skipped off smugly to their room. The giant cat chuckled to himself. He still couldn't believe that almost seven years had passed since that fateful day, back when he and his young cub had their first mission together…when Leonardo had made his first killing. After the night Leo had finally spoken to him, the two of them began working together to help the boy cope with everything that had happened. He meditated more, practiced more after their training sessions, and ventured into the forest more often than he used to, taking Karai's old radio with him sometimes. He seemed to be making good progress; he had retained his playful quirkiness, but had also matured a great deal due to discipline and hard work. Leo had even been able to look Shredder in the eye without showing any signs of fear on their next mission arrived a few months later, which made Tiger Claw proud.

But for Shredder, his sudden confidence seemed to irk him. So yet again, he was forced to make the killing.

And when they returned home that night after the mission, Leonardo told him exactly what he saw when he killed those people…

He saw the creatures that had tried to kill him that night, the ones who called themselves the Kraang. They must have moved on to another location years ago, because Tiger Claw had not seen nor heard from or about them in some time, which was good news for the both of them…but it was still worrying that Leo still remembered that night. It was burned deep into his memory, and no matter how much he mediated, those faces would never go away.

And neither would the fear and paranoia of being left alone, nor the slowly building hatred for his past family that not even Tiger Claw could stop on his own.

His fifteenth birthday was tomorrow…he had been living with that hate for far too long.

After finishing both his dishes and Leonardo's, he switched off all the lights and made his way to their bedroom. He looked down and saw that Leo was already fast asleep. He smiled fondly. Even at fifteen, Leo still couldn't sleep alone; another side-effect from that night. At least now he had his own futon, so now they weren't so squashed.

He bent down and gently laid a paw atop his head. Behind that somewhat serious demeanor, he was still only a cub.

* * *

It was now early in the morning, the moon now replaced by the rising sun in the distance, slowly finding its rightful place in the sky once again as the forest below began to awaken, the occasional cicada chirping and the scuffling of animals across the forest floor as they prepared to start the day anew. Tiger Claw and Leonardo were still fast asleep in their futons, seemingly at peace in their dreams as the forest outside became alive. Normally, they would have woken up for training, but today was an acceptation.

Something slowly, quietly slid the door of the bedroom open.

Their bare feet made no sound as they crept quietly into the room, not even waking the tiger as they moved to where the mutant turtle slept, completely unaware of their presence, even as their shadow fell over him, coming closer and closer until they were kneeling by his head. The shadowy figure smirked smugly. The turtle was completely defenseless in his sleep. There would be nothing to save him now. The figure reached out a hand…

…and prodded Leo's snout.

Leo's nose twitched slightly from an unexpected touch. Perhaps it was just another bug. They were always flying around in here. It would end up in Tiger Claw's open mouth in a moment.

"…_Leo? Wake up," _whispered a voice.

Leo's brow quirked in confusion, and he slowly opened his eyes drowsily. Then they became wide as saucers as he found that he was face to face with a girl with a strange short hairstyle, rouge lipstick painted on her lips, thick black eyeliner with red paint dashed at the edge of her eyes.

He knew that face anywhere.

She smirked down at his shocked expression.

"How are you?" Karai whispered.

Leo sat straight up and practically screamed, "_KARAI, WHAT THE EVER LOVING –?!" _before Karai slapped a hand over his mouth and glared hotly at him, her cheeks flushing red from slight embarrassment.

Tiger Claw jumped upright from his futon, claws already extended as he turned to the side, where Leo's screams had come from. But his angered expression turned to that of slight annoyance at the sight of the female ninja with her hands slapped over Leo's mouth, and he lowered his paw, retracting his claws as he folded his arms across his chest. "Well, good morning to you too, Karai," he said with a flat expression. Seriously, did that girl have any idea what time it was?

Karai finally lost her embarrassed blush as she released Leo from her hold, bowing her head once in respect. She wasn't dressed in her usual kunoichi attire, and instead wearing something fit for the warmish weather; a plain white tank top, black fingerless leather gloves and baggy jeans that were ripped at the knees. It seemed she was on her day off as well. "_Ohaiyo_, Tiger Claw," she greeted, "Sorry to drop in so early in the morning, but I thought I'd say hi to the birthday turtle over here," she teased, giving Leo a playful punch on his shoulder and grinning.

Leo grinned back, rubbing his shoulder as he nudged her back with his elbow. "Knock it off, Karai," he chuckled, rubbing the back of his head as a light blush tinted his cheeks, "I'm only fifteen, it's no big deal."

Karai wrapped an arm around his shoulder, tugging him close in a playfully rough fashion. "No big deal? Dude, you're in your mid-teens now! I'd say that's a big deal," she teased, giving him a light squeeze. "You know what? I just had an awesome idea. Do you know what _I_ was doing at fifteen?"

Looking up at the sixteen year old, Leo shook his head, or as much as he could with her arm around his neck.

Karai smirked mischievously. "I had a night on the town. Out in the big city, causing trouble, you know how it is. And I was thinking," she said as she casually examined her black painted fingernails, "since it's your big day…maybe later tonight, I dunno…you and I could go into the city and screw around like I did, have a good time. What do you say, goodie-three-toes? It's better than just sitting here listening to the radio, and you still don't have a T.V, so…" she turned back to him and smiled again.

Leo's face lit up as a smile crept its way onto his features. "Are you serious?! You and me in the city?!" he crowed excitedly, "That would be –"

"Out of the question," Tiger Claw interrupted as he stood up, folding his arms across his chest as he looked down at the two teenagers, and before either of them could argue, he said "Leonardo, it is true that you have grown powerful, but you are still young. You still lack the maturity to use your skills wisely…with the right company, that is," he sent Karai a pointed look, and she darted her eyes to the side, whistling tunelessly.

Leo let out a sigh as he stood up, Karai following his lead. "Come on, Sensei. How many times have I already proved that I'm ready to go out into the city, and not just for another lousy mission? I can protect myself, and I'll be with Karai. I promise we won't get into any trouble," he insisted, "I know you're just trying to protect me…but I can't spend my whole life just hiding out here without ever really getting to know what the real world is like through my own eyes…and not just though the eyes of a killer…"

It was that which made Tiger Claw's eyes widen ever so slightly as he looked down at his son. Even Karai couldn't help but look at him in surprise. She had no idea that Leo, her best and only friend since childhood, truly felt this way. Sure, she never liked the concept of killing people, but because of the way her father chose to raise her, she was taught to just get over it and move on. Show no mercy, and show no remorse, that was it. But Leo was different. He had been raised with more love than she had, which made her quite jealous, but she would never tell him that. It was one of the reasons why she would often hang out here with him in the forest instead of staying at her own home. Tiger Claw thought she had grown into a rebellious troublemaker, but he welcomed her all the same.

The city could prove to be too condensed at times, and it often reminded her of just how contained she really was in this land, somehow always under the watch of her father. It was only out here, in the forest of all places, with her only friend being a talking mutant turtle, that she really be herself and be free.

Leo had given her that freedom and fun that she wanted, and all she wanted to do was return the favor, free him from all the killing and hiding, just for one night. So far, that wasn't looking too great.

Tiger Claw turned to the side for a moment, pondering on his options. Forbid Leo to go out with his friend and continue to keep him away from the one thing he wanted more than anything, or for once let him spread his wings and relish in that freedom? He was still young though…there were still so many unknown dangers they could get themselves caught into, and he would be there to protect either of them. Or perhaps the tiger had grown to be a little _too_ protective? After all, the boy was going out there side by side with him to go _kill _people for goodness sakes…

He sighed heavily. Being a father was harder than ever, now that his cub had grown.

"…you may go. Tonight," he relented eventually.

Leo and Karai gasped in delight, turning to each other as they grinned wide. "WOO! Yes!" Leo crowed, pumping his fist in the air triumphantly, before running up to Tiger Claw and wrapping his arms around his waist in a tight hug. "Thank you, Sensei!" he laughed. Behind him, Karai let out a small laugh at the sight.

Tiger Claw only rolled his eyes with a tolerant smile as he patted his son's head. They hadn't even had breakfast yet, and already he knew that this was going to be a long, _long_ day.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed that! I went on Google Translate for the languages, so if I got them wrong, please feel free to correct me, and I will fix that.  
**

**But in the next chapter, Leo and Karai's little trip might be cut short. I wonder why?**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hi there! Thanks for all the comments guys! It really helped! Here is chapter 9! Okay i PROMISE i will have turtle and turtle interaction in the next chapter!**

**I OWN NOTHING!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**_"Freedom lies in being bold."_**

**_― Robert Frost _**

* * *

To the old tiger's mild surprise, after the three of them had sat down and had breakfast, Leonardo hadn't shown any real signs of excitement for that night's great escapade, just the occasional eager grin or questions he asked Karai about the places they would go check out. Other than that, the two of them just hung out together, either sparring in the gardens to let off steam (or to simply show off) or…on the roof, much to Tiger Claw's mild annoyance. But of course, living with a teenage ninja (whose best and only friend _also _happened to be a ninja) they couldn't keep still or sit in one place for too long. Both of the tended to get bored easily when there was nothing to do, and when they got bored, they tended to get mischievous. It was during their boredom that Karai had asked Tiger Claw a very sensitive question…

"What the hell happened to your tail?"

Tiger Claw's expression flattened, his mouth forming a thin line. Since Karai was a very regular visitor over the years, Tiger Claw even agreed to train her on occasions, be it on languages or on other foreign fighting styles. So in turn, he had begun to see her almost like a daughter of sorts, much like how Leonardo saw her as an older sister. So it was that whenever she stepped out of line, he was able to scold her accordingly. And after that little question, he picked her up by the back of her head, holding her above the ground and giving her head a little squeeze until she eventually begged for mercy. Instead of helping, Leo only stood by and laughed at her punishment.

They had left him alone after that, much to his salvation. However, later in the afternoon after lunch, Tiger Claw noticed that Karai was sitting outside on the grass in the front garden by herself, her legs crossed and her upper body leaning forward as she rested her elbows on her knees, staring down at a flower she was picking away at. Confused, Tiger Claw stepped out of the house to stand beside her. Acknowledging the mutant cat's presence, (and flinching ever so slightly out of fear of another head crusher) Karai looked up from her near petal-less flower as he asked her, "Where is Leonardo?"

In response, Karai gave him a smirk, turning back to her flower. "He said he needed to do something in the forest alone. He should be back in a minute," she replied coolly. She stopped picking at the flower, and she cast a curious look back up at the tiger. "…do you know what he does when he's alone?" she asked.

Quirking a confused brow, Tiger Claw shook his head. "Not unless there is something he is not telling me," he said, staring out into the forest beyond the bushes that hid their home, "Usually he would venture out into the forests merely to train or to listen to that old radio you gave him seven years ago."

Despite herself, Karai smiled fondly at that, flicking her hair from her face with a jerk of her head. She still couldn't believe he kept that. "I thought he'd be attached to that old thing," she said, "But…that's not the only thing he does."

Tiger Claw looked back down at her. "What do you mean?" he asked, not liking the ominous tone in the kunoichi's voice.

Karai smiled. "Well, he told me to promise not to tell you, and his loyalty is…pretty important to me, since he's kind of like the brother I never had and stuff. You'll have to go and see for yourself," she sassed, standing up in one fluid movement with her dismantled flower still in her gloved hand as she walked back the house, kicking off her boots before she entered and flashing Tiger Claw another smirk. "If it's alright, I'm gonna make myself a snack and then take a nap while you go find 'birthday turtle'. You don't mind if I use you cheese, do you?"

Tiger Claw shook his head, smiling despite himself. "Go ahead. I'll be back soon. Just don't make a mess. And if you do, clean it up."

Karai shrugged nonchalantly before disappearing into the kitchen. That girl; sometimes he could understand her, sometimes he couldn't. Just like her colder father, he sometimes mused. Shaking his head, he turned and began walking down the path in search for his son. He would be able to track the boy down with little difficulty, thanks to his sensitive sense of smell, and though he couldn't trust Karai with a few things despite their relationship, he knew even _she_ wouldn't mess up the house…

Well, he _hoped _she wouldn't anyways.

As soon as he came through the bushes and entered the forest itself, he was met with nothing but peace. The sounds of birds chirping their melodies, the occasional sound of animals scurrying about in the bushes, and the beams of sunlight breaking through the multi-coloured leaves of the trees overhead, which fell from their branches and fluttered down to the ground and crunched beneath his feet. He couldn't help but relax himself as he took in a deep breath through his nose, and then letting it out again in content sigh. No wonder Leo loved wandering out here. He often wondered if he would have done the same thing if he never met Leo…no, probably not. He was a different man before Leo came into his life, nowhere near as warm or caring as he was now. Well, as Leo grew older, he had to learn how to adjust how he treated the mid-teen, but the love never changed.

His ear twitched.

Damn that thing sometimes. What was it now?

His eyes widened slightly as the sound finally entered his ears. Someone was…_humming_?

Eyes darting all around his surroundings in confusion, he tried to find the source of the humming. It was coming from somewhere high up, that much he could tell, but he just needed to find out where they were, and if they were human…

He spotted him. And his eyes widened even further when he realized just who it was. It was none other than his son, Leonardo, sitting high up on a thick tree branch with his shell facing the staring tiger, and his dangling legs swinging in tune to his humming. What was he doing up there? His face was up turned to the skies above, and though he couldn't see his face, the tiger presumed he was smiling. He turned to his right when a small brown bird flew down to perch itself next to him, chirping up at the strange looking turtle. The mutant cat could now see the smile on his son's face as he made little whistling sounds similar to a birds' call, holding out his large green hand out to the bird. After a moment, the bird hopped into his palm, and Leo set it down on his lap, lightly petting it as he began to hum again. Tiger Claw smiled at the sight as he shook his head. The boy had a tendency to climb up to high places, especially trees, and simply sit there and interact with the animals, almost as if he was truly connected to the forest. In fact, he sometimes caught him acting like a tiger would when they went hunting, his blue scarf covering his face and his body low on the ground (and he even mimicked his growling.) The boy could be a real animal sometimes.

Though he had never heard him hum before.

He was about to call to him to ask what he was doing, when something took him utterly by surprise and stopped him in his tracks.

As he looked down at the small bird in his hands, Leonardo started _singing_.

_"A voice calls softly_

_It calls from within_

_To trust my steps_

_And to keep on dreaming,"_

_"Around night falls and all turns to grey_

_But I hold a light to light my way."_

_"The sky is a clear blue_

_No matter what we do_

_The road is long_

_But I see the light_

_That shines at the end_

_The arms reaching in_

_I know that you are waiting for me."_

_"Though sorrows, troubles_

_May gather up high_

_Broken glass pieces_

_Fall from the sky_

_Memories though sad_

_Will hold something true_

_Shattered glass pieces_

_Reflect something new…"_

Tiger Claw found himself completely speechless as he listened, staring up at the boy in disbelief. His voice…it was actually very beautiful. It was soft, yet confident and calming, almost as if it were a lullaby of some sort. Where did he learn to sing like this? In fact, where had he learned this song? Is this what Karai said he usually did when he was alone in the forest? He actually sang to himself?

_"A voice calls softly_

_It calls from within_

_To trust my steps_

_And to keep on dreaming,"_

_"Around night falls and all turns to grey_

_But I hold a light deep in my heart_

_I knew you were waiting right from the start…"_

Leonardo's song came to an end as he let out a quiet sigh, and as he released the bird and watched it fly away into the skies, the forest became silent once again. Tiger Claw continued to stare up at the boy in silent wonder. Should he say something? Should he _clap_? Or should he just turn and leave, pretending he had seen nothing at all? After all, if this was indeed what Karai had meant when she had said that she promised never to tell, then this must be something that the boy, despite how close they had become, didn't want his father to find out about. And those lyrics…they sounded heartfelt, personal almost…

"You just gonna stand down there, or are you gonna say something?"

The sound of Leonardo's voice snapped Tiger Claw out of his thoughts as he looked back up, finding that the turtle had turned around to look down upon the tiger with a small smile as he leaned forward slightly, his padded elbows resting on his knees as he gazed down at his father. He didn't seem angry at all; in fact he seemed to be rather satisfied, though Tiger Claw knew not why just yet. Tiger Claw smiled back. "I was going to ask you what you were doing up there," he began, "but then I heard _that. _Where did you learn that?"

Leo shrugged, still smiling despite the tint of red on his cheeks as he scratched the back of his head. "Well, I learned it from –"

He stopped short as his smile fell completely, and he looked off to the side. There was a look in his eyes that the old tiger recognized, but in the next instant it was gone again as Leo looked back down at him. "…I-I heard it once on Karai's radio," he said with a slight stutter, "the next time Karai came over, I asked her the name of that song and the lyrics…so she showed me and…yeah."

Tiger Claw knew whenever Leo was lying. His eyes would always dart to the side, and his fingers would twitch at his sides. Leo rarely ever lied to him, for they told each other nearly everything because of how close they had become, (and due to the fact that Leo was a _terrible _liar). However, it wasn't the fact that he lied that worried him. It was the almost haunted, reminiscent look in his eyes as they shifted to the side that made Tiger Claw think. It was clear that Karai obviously hadn't been the one to teach him that song.

It was someone _else_ he had known. And yet after all those years, he still remembered that as well.

The amount of things Leonardo remembered from his early childhood was amazing, and almost worrying, but he decided not to press the issue further, and instead he offered Leonardo another smirk. "I see. Well then, you have an excellent voice, my son," he said with a hint of teasing to his voice, "I wish I had a video camera for that." Leo pouted in embarrassment, making Tiger Claw chuckle, which then resulted in Leo throwing an acorn at his head, which Tiger Claw caught with ease before it hit the mark. Shaking his head as he tossed the acorn away, Tiger Claw beckoned him down. "Come now, Leonardo. Let us return home. Your so-called 'sister' is alone waiting for us," he said.

Leo nodded, and with a quick flip and a jump, he leapt off the branch onto another, and then used a thick vine to slide the rest of the way down, landing just in front of Tiger Claw in a low crouch. He straightened up and dusted his hands off in satisfaction as he looked up at the cat. Tiger Claw rolled his eyes. "Show-off," he scoffed.

Leo folded his arms and shifted his weight onto one side as he rolled his eyes as well. "_Kuso kurae," _he mumbled under his breath.

Tiger Claw snapped his head towards him. "What was that?" he asked lowly with a slight growl.

Leo's eyes widened as he stood to attention. "Nothing, _Sensei!" _he replied tensely with a lopsided nervous smile. He was _so_ dead now.

Tiger Claw narrowed his eyes at the turtle, and before he could possibly escape, he grabbed Leo by the shoulder and pulled him forward enough so that he could reach down and clamp his jaws on his head, _hard. _This was a form of scolding that the tiger usually gave him whenever he stepped that little bit out of line, a punishment he had been using ever since he was little (or even as a form of play.) It was hard, but nowhere near hard enough to make the turtle bleed of course, but hard enough so he wouldn't be going anywhere, and that he would beg for mercy. Which after a few seconds, he did. "Ow ow ow **_ow, _**okay I'm sorry!" Leo protested as he tried to loosen the tiger's grip on his head, but to no avail of course, and even though it was slightly painful, he couldn't hold back the laughter. It kinda tickled. "Please, ow, it hurts, _ow, _you're gonna _crush my skull, __**ow, please freaking let GO!"**_

To the teenaged turtle's relief, the tiger finally let go of his head, chuckling as he folded his hands behind his back, watching the boy rub the sore parts of his head. "I hope you have learned, young cub," he said with a hint of smugness, "that he who runs his mouth gets a dented head."

Leo let out a muffled groan as he shook his head to get rid of the tingling pain. "Ouch. More like a _chewed _head. And I'm not a cub anymore," he snorted.

"On the contrary," Tiger Claw snickered as he rubbed a paw on his son's head, "you will always be a cub."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Leo chuckled as the two of them began to walk back to the house together in companionable silence. However, as they trekked back through the forest side by side, Tiger Claw's mind was still pondering over that song. Obviously Leo had learned it back when he was a child, most likely from the rat that used to be his father…but the lyrics seemed so profound…Perhaps he had been singing from his heart? Or was he singing about the past?

He would probably never know.

* * *

Later that evening, as the hour finally approached, Leonardo looked at his reflection one last time in the bathroom mirror. His blue mask was tied on, his blue scarf draped around his neck and the tails resting on the back of his shell, his belts and pads on as well as the twin Katanas secured on his back. Everything was in check. Well, apart from the anxieties bubbling up inside the pit of his stomach. He had been so calm and collected throughout the entire day, outwardly that is, and only now he was showing signs of his true nervousness. Was he really ready for this? He had convinced his _Sensei_ that he was, and even Karai had faith in him. Surely he could do this, right? After all, it wasn't his first time in the city…

…it was just his first time in the city being _free. _Free from the confinements of the forest despite how much he loved it, free from the command of The Shredder…and free from all the anger and hatred that he had bottled up inside of him since that day…

A knock on the bathroom door caught his attention, and the door opened to reveal Karai herself, dressed in her black Shinobi Shōzoku and silver armour. She leaned casually against the door frame as she looked him up and down. She whistled. "Damn. You fit all your knives in there?" she mocked with a playful smirk. "It's nine o'clock, almost go time. You ready?"

Leo turned to face her fully, taking in a deep breath through his nose and letting it out again. He nodded. "I'm ready."

Moments later, the two young ninjas were stood before Tiger Claw, their backs straight and their hands by their sides as they looked up at him respectfully. In turn, Tiger Claw gazed down at them with his hands folded behind his back, so that he could hide the nervous twitching. This was it. He was going to allow his only son and his rebellious, troubling making friend venture out into the city without him for the first time since they had begun working together. Inwardly, he was dreading it, but outwardly, he showed no such thing. "You are going out into a strange and hostile world, Leonardo," he began firmly, "you must maintain awareness and stay together at all times."

Leo and Karai bowed to him. "_Hai, Sensei!" _the chorused, and then they both turned towards the door.

"Stay in the shadows!" Tiger Claw said, stopping them in their tracks as they turned back and bowed again.

"_Hai, Sensei," _they said again.

"Don't talk to strangers!"

Leo and Karai shared a frown and raised their brow. "_Hai, Sensei –"_

"_Everyone _is a stranger!"

Karai smirked, and Leo blushed slightly as he pouted. "_Hai, Sensei," _they droned with a roll of their eyes, (seriously, he wasn't _her _father) and then the two of them spun around and had just touched the grass before Tiger Claw called out once more:

"Leonardo, make sure you go before you leave! The restrooms up there are _filthy!"_

Leo tasted dirt as he jaw practically dropped to the ground, his eyes shooting open and his cheeks turning a furious shade of red as next to him, Karai slapped a hand over her mouth in an attempt to conceal her laughter, but to no avail. Leo spun on his heel as he glared embarrassedly at Tiger Claw. "**_SENSEI_**_!" _he cried, his voice cracking higher than normal.

Tiger Claw sighed, shaking his head. "Sorry…good luck, my son," he said with a smile that was almost apologetic. Despite his earlier embarrassment, Leo smiled back at him, and after sharing a nod and a grin with Karai, the two of them dashed off through the bushes and into the forest towards the city. Now Leo's previous anxiety was replaced with a buzz of excitement. This was no killing mission. Now, he was with his best friend, his sister of sorts, about to venture into the city and see it truly for himself.

Tonight, he would be free.

* * *

There were no words to express what he felt in that moment. It wasn't fear, but it wasn't joy. It wasn't sadness, but it wasn't jubilancy. No, it was something far better than that. As Leonardo stood upon one of the highest buildings in the city, side by side with his friend, gazing down at the glimmering city lights below them, listening to the sound of cars and millions upon millions of humans as they moved on with their normal lives, smelling the sweet aromas of the food and the beautiful kimonos among other kinds of stunning clothing, only one thing came to mind.

"…incredible…" he breathed, his eyes never leaving the city landscape.

Her arms folded over her armored chest, Karai nodded and smiled. "Hmm. It depends on where you're standing, but yeah…it's pretty cool up here," she said, taking a strange satisfaction upon watching the blue clad turtle stare down in wonder as she walked over, resting her elbow against his shoulder. "I knew you'd like it, too. I come up here every once in a while, y'know, just to clear my head, get some space away from my father…just like you go into the forest away from Tiger Claw."

Leo turned to her and raised a brow, not amused. "There's a difference – a _big _difference – between my father and yours, no offense. I'm not trying to get away from him…I just need a little room for thoughts. And I just don't understand how you can stand being in _his_ presence," he said, a frown on his face as he remembered the blood thirsty man.

Karai shrugged. "He is kinda the guy who raised me. And believe it or not, he _was _a nice guy when I was little…well, kind of. But yeah, he drives me crazy, and this whole 'revenge' thing he has going on," she chuckled using air quotes to further her point, "is literally _all _he ever talks about besides business crap. Revenge, revenge, vendetta, vendetta."

Leo grinned at her with his own chuckle, shaking his head at the girl. "I take it you don't approve?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine with it. I'm just saying, he needs a hobby."

Leo actually laughed at that. "Well, forget about your father for now," he said, taking her small hand in his larger green one as he grinned eagerly, "where do we go first?"

The girl's mischievous returned. "Follow me, goody-three-toes," she teased, and with that, the two of them leapt off the edge of the high building, gravity pulling them towards the earth as they fell freely, but neither ninja were afraid.

For them, it was as close as they would ever get to flying.

* * *

"Master Shredder?"

Inside his office room, Oroku Saki, or known by his many minions and allies as The Shredder, looked up from the documents on his desk and at the two Foot Soldiers that had entered the room. He looked at the clock on the wall; it read 11:55 at night. His next 'meeting' wasn't scheduled until midnight, though he was expecting Karai to be back by now. He turned back to the ninjas at the door. "What is it? It had better be important," he said warningly. He did not appreciate being interrupted in his work, and they all knew that very well.

The ninjas both bowed in respect to their master before speaking. "There is something that has just appeared on the news that might be of great interest to you, sir," one spoke, "It seems that there have been reports of…ninjas in New York, sir."

Interest sparked in the ninja master as he creased his brows in curiosity. "What? Ninjas in New York?" he repeated, putting a finger to his chin and humming in thought for a moment. Though he did have a base situated in Manhattan, he had sent none of his ninjas out into America at all in the past few months for any reason – well, all except from Bradford that is – and unless they had a death wish, none of his clan would dare allow themselves to be seen by the public. This had to be the work of some other ninja clan. Standing up from his chair, Shredder nodded once to his men. "Very well. Show me," he said. The two ninjas nodded, and they led him back to his main 'throne room' if you will, where a large screen had the paused image of an American News reporter on Channel 6 News. Apparently this was a playback from yesterday (in New York of course.) Taking a seat on his throne, Shredder watched the screen as the ninja posted at his side pressed the play button on the remote.

_"…a report of, get this, _**Ninjas**_ in _**NewYork**_! Don't believe me? After residents reported a disturbance, the police recovered this."_

The image of a shuriken appeared on the screen, and Shredder's eyes widened for a moment as he stared at it. That symbol…he remembered it anywhere. It was burned into his memory like the flames of the home he had burned to the ground…along with whom he had thought was his friend, his brother…and now his most hated enemy. And yet there it was, before his very eyes. It was the symbol of the clan that had been responsible for the fall of the Foot many years ago, the clan filled with liars and thieves that were a disgrace to the ninjas name…

It was the crest of the Hamato Clan.

Hamato Yoshi was alive.

"…so, my old nemesis is in New York, and training his own army," he said, his eyes narrowing darkly as the flames of vengeance burned behind them once more. "At last…I can finish what I started so long ago." He darted his eyes over to the soldier on his right. "Prepare my jet," he ordered, and with a bow, the ninja went to go do his master's bidding. From its perch on the arm of his throne, Shredder picked up his helmet, sliding back onto his head as he stood up, the shadows giving his body a haunting yet powerful and foreboding appearance.

"…I am going to visit an old friend."

* * *

It felt like years, but in reality, only hours had passed during their little city adventure. They had leapt over buildings one by one, enjoying the addicting sense of freedom as they seemed to soar together. They had even stopped on one rooftop to ensue a quick sparring match, something they both loved doing. Fighting was in their blood, it was nearly all they had ever known, and they were more than happy to put their skills to use for something other than killing, and simply have _fun_. In the end though, Karai managed to get the upper hand, much to Leo's dismay, but he didn't hold it against her. After all, it was only sparring, and she had more experience than Leo did.

Karai had stepped into a few shops for Leo, buying all sorts of food such as ramen, candy canes, dango on a stick, and she had even bought him his own satchel, something as a personal gift from her to him, which he was very grateful for. Karai even filled up a few balloons she had bought along with the satchel with water, and the two of them dropped them upon the heads of unsuspecting people below. Leo felt a little guilty about it, but after seeing their reactions, that guilt washed away as he and his human friend dissolved into fits of laughter.

All in all, it was a good night. In fact, it could have been the greatest night of the young turtle's life.

However, like all good things, it quickly came to an end at the stroke of midnight, when Karai's phone rang in her pocket. They both shared a groan and a long-suffering look. "Aw man," Karai grumbled as she looked at the time on her phone, and the picture of the caller. Since Karai had no real human friends, and Leo didn't have a phone, her father's number was the only one she had. Though it wasn't as if he was going to allow her to have any other phone number on there anyways, being the slightly overprotective father he was. Rolling her eyes skyward, she answered the phone, putting it on loudspeaker. "_Moshi moshi?" _she answered.

Her father's deep voice came from the device. "_Karai, where are you?" _

She and Leo fought a smirk. "I'm in the city near the movies. I was just going to catch one by myself. Why?"

"_Go back to Leonardo and Tiger Claw, and tell them to report to me immediately, and you do the same. We are leaving for New York in a few hours."_

Their playfulness vanished in an instant, and was replaced with immense confusion as they shared another look. "…uh, okay," Karai stammered, "I'll get right on it. But may I ask why, father?"

"_…Hamato Yoshi is alive."_

Everything suddenly came screeching to a halt as Karai's unseeing eyes shot wide open, her blood going cold as her heart froze in the pit of her chest. The colour seemed to vanish from her face as she stared down at the phone in her hands, which slipped from numb fingers and clattered on the rooftop they were standing on, but she didn't notice.

He was alive.

The man who took her away, who ruined all of their lives, was in New York. He was _alive._

She didn't hear Leo's voice calling out to her, telling her to snap out of it. She didn't feel her legs suddenly wobble beneath her as she collapsed, until suddenly everything went black.

"_KARAI!" _Leo cried, diving for the kunoichi as she collapsed, catching her just before the back of her head hit the concrete. Quickly, he checked her pulse by pressing two fingers against her neck, and sighed in relief once he found a steady beat. She was fine; she simply fainted. And despite not knowing the full details, he completely understood why. From the many conversations they had over their years together, Karai had once told him about a man named Hamato Yoshi, who was known by the Shredder as his 'old nemeses', or his worst enemy. They had once been like brothers, until Hamato betrayed him. He had killed Karai's mother, Tang Shen, and had tried to steal her away from Shredder as a baby, until Shredder burnt the home to the ground. They had thought Hamato had perished in the flames…

…but apparently, that was no longer the case.

Apart from the fact that he and Karai were friends, pity was another reason Leo couldn't find it in him to kill Shredder. If he did, Karai would be on her own, having lost a mother and a father. He had killed before, but he wasn't _that _cold. He wasn't born a heartless killer. Not like Hamato Yoshi, or The Shredder himself.

"_Leonardo?"_

Shredder's voice from the abandoned phone caught his attention, and he picked it up and spoke into it, "Yes, Master Shredder. Karai is alright; she just passed out. I will see to it that Tiger Claw and I are at your headquarters as soon as possible, sir."

There was a short silence between the two of them, before Shredder finally spoke again. "_Very well. Wake her up and get here quickly. I do _not_ want to be kept waiting."_

Leo stifled a growl. "Understood, master," he forced out. And without another word, Shredder hung up on him. Sighing heavily, Leo looked back down at the unconscious Karai in his arms, a sad frown on his features. Seeing her so happy before, seeing her laughing and playing pranks and sparring together, and then to see her actually faint from the shock of the news that the man who had killed her mother was alive…it just ruined everything.

For her, and for him.

Making sure he was gentle, Leo quickly but carefully lifted her up into his arms, holding her safely against his chest as he bounded across the rooftops, back towards the forest.

It appeared that no matter what he did, no matter where he went, Leo would never, and _could _never be free.

* * *

**A/N: Poor Karai and Leo...**

**The song was an English version of Itsumo Nando Demo from Spirited Away, and I thought it would fit for Leo to sing something like that on his own. I DON'T OWN THE SONG!**

**Next Chapter: We leave the forest behind and journey to America!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Wow, quick update! Here is chapter 10, where we FINALLY see the three other turtles!**

**I OWN NOTHING!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**_"To travel is to take a journey into yourself."_**

**_ –Danny Kaye_**

* * *

He knew something was amiss before he even saw the panicked turtle.

First of all, it was only minutes passed midnight; he had assumed that they would have returned sometime in the early hours of the morning, not be right on time. When he heard Leonardo's running footsteps approaching, he made his way to the front door only to find his son carrying an unconscious Karai in his arms. The boy didn't give him time to ask what had happened, and instead set her down on the floor in the main room, cushioning her head on a pillow and then running into the kitchen to retrieve some water. In the meantime Tiger Claw stayed by her side, quickly checking her for any injuries, and was slightly confused when he found none. Had she been poisoned? She showed no symptoms of any sort, and her breathing was regular. The only thing that seemed odd was how pale her face had become.

Leo quickly returned with a glass of water, and before Tiger Claw could stop him, Leo splashed Karai's face with the water. Instantly, she sat up with a cry of alarm, coughing and spluttering as she wiped her face. Tiger Claw sent his son a pointed look, and Leo shrugged back in response before he turned his attention back to Karai, who looked around her in confusion before she saw the familiar faces of her turtle friend and the old tiger, and she visibly relaxed, her shoulders slumping as she let out a sigh of relief. Leo put a hand on her shoulder, his eyes full of concern. "Karai, are you okay?" he asked.

Karai looked down at her lap with unseeing amber eyes, water dripping from her dampened face and hair and smudging her makeup slightly. She lifted a quivering hand to her face. "…no. I'm not," she finally whispered after several moments of silence. Leo let out a small sigh, nodding and squeezing her shoulder reassuringly, though he knew it did little to really help her.

Tiger Claw looked at the two teenagers in confusion. Karai was never like this. If they had witnessed something like a robbery or a murder, it was nothing new for the two of them, who killed for both a living and as a service to their master. What happened whilst they were out? He decided that simply assuming was going to get him nowhere, and after placing a hand on Leonardo's shoulder to gain his attention, he finally asked, "Leonardo? Would you care to explain what is going on?"

After sparing a glance at Karai, who after a moment nodded to him, Leo spilled out the whole story to him. How they had been called by The Shredder, how they were expected to report to Shredder as soon as possible, the news about Hamato Yoshi, and then how Karai simply fainted right after hearing it.

Tiger Claw remained silent throughout the entire explanation, simply nodding his head in the right places, and after Leo was finished, he stood up, folding his hands behind his back as he regarded the two young ninjas. "I see. Very well, I will prepare myself, and then we will leave for Shredder's headquarters," he said, and after sparing the human girl one last look, he left the two of them alone in the main room as he went into his room to gather his gear and weapons. From inside, though he didn't mean to pry, he could hear the two of them talking…

"Karai…you know that no matter what…I'll always have your back, right?" Leonardo's voice was confident, but it was also encouraging.

"…yeah. I know you will." Karai's voice was wavering slightly, as if she was trying to suppress tears. "And, Leo….I…"

"I know. You're not very good about saying 'thank you'."

From inside his room, Tiger Claw smiled.

* * *

Half an hour later, Tiger Claw and Leonardo were kneeling before The Shredder, who stood only meters away from them as he glared down at their bowed forms, his hands clasped behind his back. Karai was standing at his right side, and though she didn't show it in front of her father, she was still shaking inside.

Shredder stepped closer to the two mutants. "Tiger Claw, Leonardo. Rise." he ordered. The turtle and the tiger did as they were asked and stood, though Tiger Claw noticed that Leonardo's hand was clenched in a tight fist, and he kept his glaring blue eyes on the floor. If Shredder noticed, he didn't seem to care as he began to explain, "I am sure Karai has informed you fleetingly of the circumstances, so I will be brief. There have been sightings of ninjas in New York City, and they bare the symbol of the Hamato clan. Hamato Yoshi, my old nemesis, is the one training his own army of ninjas in that country, and so I am finally going to finish what I started, and have them all _wiped out. _In order to do so…I want you and your son to leave Japan, and journey to America along with my Foot Soldiers by boat tomorrow night."

It was then that Leo finally looked up at him with eyes widened. Tiger Claw and Karai were also surprised at the announcement; they had expected for Karai only to go to New York, but _this_? "What?!" Leonardo barked.

All eyes were on him now, especially Shredder's as the boy glared up at him. Shredder narrowed his eyes at Leo in return. "Your skills will prove useful against Hamato's disciples," he said, "you should think of it as a great honour that I would even consider _you _to join me in my army against Hamato."

He then bent forward so that he was face to face with Leonardo, his dark eyes glaring into his very being. "Unless you would prefer that I simply dispatch of you now myself," he growled testingly.

Letting out his own low growl from his throat, without averting his gaze from Shredder, Leo discreetly slipped out a small blade from his wrist wrap on his left hand, holding it in a way so that Shredder wouldn't notice he had it.

He'd had enough of this lowlife tin head.

But before Leo could make another move, Tiger Claw placed a paw on his left shoulder, stopping him from making any sudden movements and not averting his eyes away from Shredder as he tightened his hold on his son's shoulder. "We will accept your generous offer, Master Shredder," he said as he bowed to him, sliding his eyes over to Leo as a silent message for him to do the same and keep his mouth _shut_, "We will depart for New York by tomorrow night as requested."

Taking a step back from Leonardo, Shredder glanced over at Tiger Claw and nodded. "Good. Once you arrive, you will be given your orders. Do _not_ disappoint me," he said lowly, sending a look to Leonardo in particular. "The consequences would be…_unfortunate._"

Despite his anger and outrage at Tiger Claw's declaration of agreement, Leo bowed as well, biting his lip hard to stifle the animalistic growl that threatened to surface. "Yes, Master Shredder," he forced out.

He quickly stole a glance at Karai, who still stood at Shredder's side, and he was surprised to find that though her face was a solid mask of indifference, her eyes were almost apologetic. In response, he sent her the smallest of smiles as a 'thank you.' For now, he was done with Shredder; he would deal with him himself another time.

But he wasn't done with Tiger Claw just yet.

* * *

"How could you say _yes_ to that?!" Leonardo yelled up at Tiger Claw. After Shredder had given them directions on where his base was located in Manhattan after they arrived at New York by boat, the two of them were dismissed and told to prepare themselves for the journey. And it was as soon as the two of them got home that Leonardo decided he wouldn't keep his mouth shut any longer. "I mean, how could you just decide it's great idea to leave Japan to go kill off a few armature ninjas all the way in _America_?!" he cried, "This is pointless! Can't he just send some of his Foot soldiers to take care of it?! The Shredder is a fool, and his plan for vengeance is downright bull –"

"_Silence_, Leonardo," Tiger Claw growled, narrowing his eyes down at his angered son. The air between them had been very thick with tension ever since they departed from Shredder's headquarters, and although he had been expecting this kind of reaction from the very start, it didn't irk him any less. And on top of that, he had his own inner frustrations to deal with, which made his temper fuse burn short. "You will watch your tongue. Hamato Yoshi is a Grand Master of Ninjitsu, Leonardo. It will take more than a few Foot soldiers to dispose of him, and so it is our duty as his warriors and servants to –"

"_I am __**no **__servant of that shell of a man!" _shouted Leo, interrupting Tiger Claw and balling his fists in rage, "Does he _really_ expect us to leave _everything_ behind just to go kill a bunch of wannabe ninjas and an old ninja master?! We're not just some animals that he can kick around and _tame_! Who says we have to do whatever he says, _Sensei_?! I know you're stronger than him, so what the hell is stopping you from just saying no and –"

"**_Damare!_**" Tiger Claw suddenly bellowed, startling Leonardo into silence as his father glared and snarled down and bared his claws and fangs at him. "You have no right to speak of matters such as these. And _I_ do not have to explain myself to a _child_! We are warriors and servants of The Shredder, and our only purpose is to fight. As for you, I am _your_ master as well, and you _will _do as I say. _Understand_?"

Leo stared up at his father with fear in his eyes. Tiger Claw had never, no matter how many times they had argued in the past, drawn his claws out on him this way. During training, of course he would, so as not to make it too easy for him, but now…he was admittedly frightened of him. He reminded him of those creatures…the ones that had tried to kill him all those years ago. "…_S-Sensei_?" he stammered.

Tiger Claw blinked once. And then he was hit with the realization that he had his claws out. He looked back to Leonardo , who had shrunken backwards slightly and away from him. Had…had Tiger Claw actually threatened to strike him? Whether it was his anger or his animal instincts taking over, it didn't matter. He had almost marked his cub. And not only that, he had completely degraded him, telling him that he was lesser than him, which was far, _far _from the truth. Especially after everything the boy had been through. Retracing his claws and lowering his hand, Tiger Claw closed his eyes and sighed, shaking his head. He then placed a paw on his shoulder, and felt a pang of regret when he felt Leo flinch slightly under his touch. "Leonardo," he said calmly, and was glad when he saw Leo begin to relax again, "I am sorry. What I said was not true. But you must listen to me when I tell you, that we must do this. I know you don't want to leave the forest, and neither do I. It has been our home for years now, and I too have become rather attached to it myself. But this is a mission that we, as warriors, must undertake. And who said that we will be gone forever, hm? When this is all over, we will return."

After a moment of silent contemplation, Leonardo looked down at the floor sullenly with a heavy sigh of his own. "I…I understand, _Sensei_, but…then why does it feel like we'll never come back?" he said quietly, "What if something happens to us when we get there, and…and we're separated? I-I know I shouldn't be saying this but…I can't – I mean…I don't want to be left behind again…"

Tiger Claw started slightly. He saw that look in his eyes again as the boy looked away from him, pressing his fingers together nervously as he bit his bottom lip. Oh, of course. The last time he had attempted to go to New York, he was almost killed by the Kraang, and was separated from the rat and his brothers. Of course there was still going to be some anxiety there. Shaking his head and sighing again, Tiger Claw brought Leo in close for a tight hug, which the boy returned immediately with just as much force, burying his face into his chest as the tiger stroked the back of his head. "Do not fear, young cub. We will never be separated. I promise you that."

Leo nodded against him, taking in a shaking breath through his nose as he tightened his hold on his father. Travelling to other countries was a very foreign concept to Leonardo, but Tiger Claw knew he would be strong enough to adjust. After all, if the tiger could do it, so could the turtle. Or at least he _hoped_ so. But if not, Tiger Claw knew he would be there by his side to help him every step of the way.

* * *

"_Ouch! I think I stepped on a rock again! Stupid rocks!"_

_"Actually, rocks don't have brains, Raphie."_

_"Hahaha! You got smarted by Donnie again!_

_"Shut up!"_

_"OW! Leo, Raphie hit me!"_

_"Raph, don't hit Mikey. You'll hurt his little head. Here, lemme rub it better. Does that help?"_

_"Mmhm! Thanks, Leo! You're the greatest!"_

_Shaking his head with a tolerant smile, Splinter watched as his four excited turtle sons walked by his side, holding hands just as they were told to do as the five of them trekked through the forest. Gathering personal belongings and supplies for the trip was quicker and easier than Splinter had thought it was going to be, but then again, they didn't have much to begin with. Splinter had carried his weapons bag along with a few personal items, Michelangelo had an old teddy bear, Donatello had a single science book that Splinter had managed to salvage from an old dump, Raphael had an old race car, and Leonardo…well, Leonardo originally had the teddy bear, but had kindly given it to Michelangelo a while ago in order to chase away the 'Nightmare Man', as they had put it anyways. Splinter was proud of him for displaying such kindness to his youngest brother, but then again, that was natural for them. They were all so close to one another, closer than any family he had ever seen, or so Splinter often supposed._

_Each other was all they ever really had. _

_It was already very dark in the forest by the time the family of mutants reached the halfway point of their walk to the docks, where a cargo ship headed to America was bound to be. The little ones were already tiring out, and Splinter couldn't help but chuckle as they yawned and stretched drowsily. "…_Sensei_, are we there yet?" Raphael mumbled, rubbing his left eye._

_Splinter shook his head with a smile, taking Donatello's hand when the little turtle reached up. "No, not yet, Raphael. But we are getting close. Just stay by me and do not wander off." _

_The four boys nodded, and after Leonardo took Michelangelo and Raphael's hands, they continued forwards. Splinter mused that this trip was a lot easier than he had expected, but of course he remained vigilant. There was no telling what could be out there in the darkness…_

_"Sensei," Michelangelo piped up, pointing his free hand to something in the bushes, "What's that light?"_

_Quirking a furry brow in confusion, Splinter followed Michelangelo's finger, squinting his eyes in the darkness. Then they widened in horrid realization._

_He had only seconds to gather his sons in his arms and leap out of the way before the area became filled with purple laser fire. The boys screamed in terror as three strange men in business suits emerged from the bushes, aiming their guns at the mutants. _

_Splinter's eyes widened. It…it couldn't be…it was them again. The ones responsible for turning them all into what they were today. _

_This was just what he had feared would happen all along…_

_"Kraang, it is the mutant that is known as the rat mutant who had mutated three years ago by Kraang," one of them said._

_"Observe, Kraang," said another, "Capture first, experimentation later."_

_Before they could move to attack, Splinter had already grabbed the children and ran from the scene, but the men who called themselves Kraang were hot on their tails. "Keep running, my sons!" he called over the sounds of lasers firing at them from behind, "Don't stop and don't look back!" _

_He could see the fear written clearly on their young faces as they ran as fast as their little legs could carry them. They had never experienced fear like this before, and it killed him inside to know that he had not been careful enough to avoid this. If only he had noticed before it was too late._

_As they ran, Michelangelo suddenly tripped and fell to the ground. Leonardo was the first to notice as he skidded to a stop. "Mikey!" he cried, sprinting back to where his little brother lay sprawled out on the forest floor, and he quickly brought him back onto his feet, giving him back the stuffed bear and pushing him forwards. "Go, hurry Mikey, GO!" he yelled. _

_Upon realizing that only Raphael and Donatello were running by his side, Splinter quickly spun around in search for his other two sons, and he was just in time to see one of the men closing in on them both as they tried to catch up to them. His heart in his throat, Splinter made a mad dash towards them, but Leonardo pushed Michelangelo out of the way, just as the man fired his gun._

_Splinter's eyes flew wide and his mouth agape, skidding and freezing in his tracks as he witnessed as his eldest son was shot in the head, his body going limp as he fell to the ground._

**_"LEONARDO!" _**

* * *

Splinter let out a startled cry as he sat upright on his futon, putting a shaking hand over his rapidly beating heart as he panted. Sweat trickled down his forehead as he stared down at his lap with unseeing eyes. Slowly, after talking a deep breath, he managed to calm himself down, wiping the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. It was a nightmare. It was just another nightmare…

…another nightmare about _him_.

Splinter sighed heavily as he got out of bed, opened the sliding doors of his room and entered the dojo. After gazing at the beautiful flourishing tree that stood in the centre of the room after years of tender care, he turned to the old shrine that he had built a long time ago, where the black and white photo of his wife and baby daughter was sat. On the shelf underneath it, there was an old teddy bear that had not been touched or played with for years. His ears drooping slightly, Splinter gently picked up the bear, running his hand over its fuzzy features. The moment that he witnessed the death of his oldest son, his oldest baby, Splinter had never forgiven himself, even to this very day. It tore him apart knowing that he had lost another child. How could he not have noticed that he and Michelangelo were missing? How could he have not been fast enough to save him before it was too late? Was it because he had simply failed in training them to the best of his abilities? Or was it simply because…he had failed to protect him as a father should have done?

The three turtles he had left were just as distraught as he was, for they had just lost their older brother. They cried for hours over his loss, and poor Michelangelo had blamed himself over and over again, feeling as though it was his fault that Leonardo died. But Splinter had been there to reassure them all and wipe away their tears, telling them that Leonardo would live on in their hearts for as long as they remembered him, and that he would be watching over them from above, always.

From that day onwards, as they sailed to New York City and rebuilt their lives under the cover of the sewers, Splinter vowed that he would never make that mistake again. He would train his three remaining sons to the very best of his ability, and ensure that they would be able to protect themselves if he were to one day not be there by their side.

And in memory of those they had lost, he and the boys had made a shrine for Tang Shen, little Miwa, and his little Leonardo. Since the bear had originally belonged to him, Michelangelo put the bear up there in memory of how he had been able to chase the monsters away and saved his life. Splinter looked down once again at the bear in his hands, and he hugged the toy to his chest, as if it were Leonardo himself.

Leonardo may be gone, but he was never, _ever, _forgotten.

Laughter and shouts coming from the entrance of the old subway station they had come to call home brought Splinter out of his thoughts. He smiled and rolled his eyes. It seemed that the boys were finally back. Setting the bear carefully back in place, he made his way out of the dojo to greet his sons. It was only a few weeks ago that Splinter had (reluctantly) allowed the three of them to go to the surface for the first time in years. And it was on that same night that they had gotten involved with an alien race called the Kraang, (which Splinter soon remembered as the same people who had killed Leonardo that night in Japan, much to his horror) and a young human girl named April O'Neil.

Now it was their responsibility to find and rescue the girl's father, and put a stop to whatever these creatures have in store for them.

As if their lives couldn't get any more complicated.

At first, when they had first tried to rescue April O'Neil from the Kraang the first time, there proved to have been an issue concerning how they could not fight together as a unit. So Splinter eventually decided it was time that they had a leader. And although Raphael was now the oldest of the three, it was Donatello who had asked first, so the position was left to him, much to Raphael's annoyance, but he and Michelangelo complied nonetheless. The only issues Splinter had with Donatello being the leader, was that the boy was so intelligent for his age. But that was far from the problem; his brain was what helped them survive in the sewers for so long, believe it or not, but there were times that Donatello would over-think things, such as their plan to retrieve Miss O'Neil. Splinter had given him guidance in that moment, telling him to keep things simple, and that no matter how hard he planned, it was how he reacted to the unexpected that would determine their success.

There had been a great struggle, but together they had managed to successfully rescue the girl from the clutches of the Kraang.

And Splinter couldn't be more proud.

As he walked down the stairs that led to the dojo, he was just in time to find his three sons vaulting the turnstiles, laughing and boasting over their victory it seemed, as was becoming usual nowadays. "My sons," he announced, and the three of them turned to face their _sensei_, with Raphael rubbing the back of his head with slight awkwardness, "I see your mission was successful, yes?"

Donnie nodded eagerly. "_Hai, Sensei,_" he said, "W-well, sort of anyways. We managed to find the guy and break his phone, but –"

"He kinda got mutated into this freaky giant spider!" Mikey piped up enthusiastically, interrupting Donnie who rolled his eyes, "Now we call him Spider-Bytez! But don't worry, Raph came just in time and beat the snot outta him! It was _awesome, Sensei!"_

Splinter raised a brow at Mikey's colourful use of language, but a smiled and nodded either way. "I am sure it was, Michelangelo," he said, to which Mikey nodded and beamed up at him. Splinter then turned his attention to Raph, who looked down at his feet casually, but was deliberately avoiding Splinter's gaze. Splinter placed a hand on his shoulder, causing the red clad turtle to finally look up at him. "Well done, my son," he said simply, smiling down at him.

After a moment, he earned a wry smirk from the oldest turtle and a green thumbs up. "Hey, it's no big deal, _Sensei,_" he said confidently, folding his arms over his chest proudly, "After all, it's like you said, 'A River over Stone', right?"

Splinter chuckled. "Yes indeed, Raphael, that is correct. And for that, I am proud of. So I trust that you will not be too upset once you find out what Michelangelo has stuck onto your shell?"

Raph's smile instantly vanished as he spun around to see Mikey snickering, with Donnie not far behind as Raph reached behind him, his three fingers brushing against a piece of paper stuck to his shell, and he tore it off. His eyes narrowed and he let out a nasty growl when he saw the words "Bloated Buffalo" scribbled on the paper, and after crushing the paper in his hands, he swerved over to Mikey, who was already halfway across the lair as the red clad turtle gave chase to the younger turtle, both of them screaming all the while, though for Mikey, it was more out of terror.

Master Splinter and Donnie shared a look, shaking their heads and smiling. Despite how much had changed in their lives over the course of a few weeks, some things would always stay the same.

Or at least, Splinter _hoped _they would…

* * *

**A/N: Sorry Splinter, but somethings are just BOUND to change...**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: This one is a LOOONG one, and I nearly cried several times whilst writing it! Also, you guys are awesome with your comments! They're great, and so are you!**

**I OWN NOTHING!**

**Enjoy!**

**...and have some tissues ready.**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**_"A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you."_**

**_― Elbert Hubbard_**

* * *

Tiger Claw had to admit, after so long of staying in one place, it was odd to be traveling on the open seas again. He used to do that before he had Leonard to care for, and he had actually enjoyed it somewhat. He never resented having Leo though, but it was just nice to be out on the open oceans traveling again.

As he stood leaning against the side of the ship, he looked out onto the horizon, with nothing before them but endless ocean, and the peaks of tall buildings in the very distance. It seemed that they were finally getting closer to their destination, after seemingly endless hours on this ship. He took a deep breath through his nose, inhaling the salty scent of the water that although messed with his feline senses and made his nose twitch uncomfortably, seemed almost refreshing. The Shredder had his own private ship for him and his dozens of other Foot Soldiers to board on whilst he and his daughter Karai took a jet to New York instead. Tiger Claw had to admit, even though he was a cold hearted man, he had been gracious enough to at least give them such a fine ship as this. Well, he supposed he still had a _bit _of humanity left in him after all. His nose twitched again, and Tiger Claw had to stifle a sneeze as he sniffed. Even though the he had always somewhat enjoyed the smell of the ocean, being a large cat, it always tended to irritate that damned nose of his. Not only that, but there was also the issue of getting wet; he didn't mind water though, in fact, tiger loved the water. It was just how _much_ water that was his main concern…

Though he knew a certain turtle didn't mind the water whatsoever. A smirk grew on his features at the memory of how many times he had to stop Leonardo after he had almost dived overboard to swim with the dolphins that swam alongside the ship.

"Master Tiger Claw?"

Straightening up, Tiger Claw turned around to find a Foot Soldier standing to attention behind him. "We're approaching the docks of New York very soon, sir," the soldier explained, "And I need to ask, where is Leonardo? Please don't tell me he jumped out of the ship this time…"

Tiger Claw huffed a laugh, and he cocked his head upwards. "Up there, on the lookout," he said, folding his arms across his chest as he gazed up at. The soldier tilted his head in confusion at first, and then looked up to find that the turtle was indeed sitting on top of the lookout, his legs dangling over the edge as he stared out into the distance.

The soldier chuckled at the sight. "Huh, and here I thought he couldn't be any weirder," he smirked fondly, shaking his head as he looked back to Tiger Claw. "Well, whenever you can get him down from there, please inform him that we need to prepare for when we arrive, sir."

Tiger Claw nodded his understanding, and after a short bow, the soldier left to go and attend to other matters. Looking back up to where his son was sitting contentedly above their heads (and was now playing with a seagull that had decided that the strange turtle looked interesting) Tiger Claw smiled and shook his head. Despite his earlier protest in leaving Japan to begin with, which proved to be harder for the boy than he had thought would be, Leo seemed to become quite excited once he was on the boat, exploring all the cabins, and even going in the engine room, which had almost gotten him in trouble. Also, he never stopped climbing to high places as if they were trees, but as much as he loved to climb, the lookout was as high as he was going to get, but he seemed content just being up there, simply seeing what lay beyond the oceans and inhaling the salty smell. After he had gotten passed the reason why they had to leave, Leo seemed quite content now, which made Tiger Claw glad. Maybe he was starting to see the brighter side to all of this. "Leonardo," he called up to him, and Leo immediately ceased his play session with the bird and looked down. "Come down from there. I need to speak with you."

Leo nodded, giving the seagull one last pat on the head before letting it fly away as he stood up, and with a jump, he flipped backwards off the lookout, letting himself free-fall until he flipped himself upright again, landing soundly on his feet in a low crouch right in front of Tiger Claw. The tiger didn't even flinch, and instead watched with a small smile as the boy straightened up from his crouch, and looked expectantly up at his father as he folded his arms. "_Hai, Sensei?" _he asked.

Tiger Claw cocked his head ahead of them with a knowing smile. "We are almost there, Leonardo," he explained, looking back out into the distance, where the buildings were now clearly visible on the horizon. He watched as Leo followed his gaze, and the turtle began to walk to the edge of the ship, staring in curiosity and wonder at the island that seemed just within reach, though in reality was still very far away.

Without averting his gaze from the city beyond, watching as the glowing sun began to set behind the shadows of the skeletal buildings, Leo asked, "Is that really America? All of it on that single Island?"

Tiger Claw chuckled, "No, Leonardo. America is far bigger than a single city."

Leo let out a gasp, his eyes growing. "Seriously?! That's just one city?! It looks like an entire world, _Sensei!_" he exclaimed excitedly, and then he turned back to look up at his father curiously. "It kinda looks like Tokyo…is it anything like Tokyo?" he asked.

In response, Tiger Claw shrugged as he folded his arms over his chest. "I don't know," he admitted, "I've only ever been to the lesser known parts of America, but I do know that there are many more cultures all mixed together in this city than in Tokyo alone. They mostly speak English there, but I'm sure there are other languages spoken there that you and I might recognize as well. So yes, I believe things are very different."

"Huh," Leo breathed in wonder as he continued to gaze put ahead of them, his mind buzzing with millions of possibilities based on what his father told him. It was then that another thought came to him, though this one was…less probable. But it wouldn't hurt to ask, would it? "…_Sensei…" _he began, almost hesitantly, "I wonder what those other ninjas are gonna be like. Are they just as skilled as we are? Are they…are they like _me?_"

Tiger Claw's brows knitted together in thought at that as he looked down at his turtle son. Come to think of it, he had never thought of the possibility that these so-called 'warriors' could be mutants like him and Leonardo. After all these years, he had forgotten that the Kraang creatures were everywhere, possibly all over the world. In fact, Leo had believed that they were the only mutants in existence aside from his previous family, but in reality, there could be all kinds of mutants, some like him and Leonardo, others…well, not _all_ experiments were lucky enough to retain their humanity, if any were human at all to begin with. Tiger Claw and that rat man had been lucky enough that they hadn't lost their minds after their mutation. As for Leonardo, he only gained his sense of humanity from living with him for all these years, learning how to walk, talk, and convey emotions like a human, even though he wasn't one himself. Tiger Claw placed a paw on his son's shoulder. "I don't know, Leonardo," he spoke honestly, "Perhaps we shall see once we arrive what this new land has in store for us."

Bringing up his hand to rest it over the larger paw squeezing his shoulder in a reassuring manner, Leonardo nodded as he continued to stare out at the sunset, and the grand city that lay just head of them, growing closer within his reach. He would always miss the forests of Japan, but to be able to travel to another world, to experience new things and witness new sights…

He smiled excitedly. It was going to be worth it.

He just knew it.

* * *

"…Um, _Sensei,_ aren't you hungry?"

Sat in the center of the pit that was their living room, the two eldest turtles, Donatello and Raphael turned from their pizza dinner to where their father and master was sat a few meters away. He sat on the side of the bench that served as their couch, stroking his beard as he closed his eyes, seemingly deep in thought. This was bad, this was very, _very _bad. He knew not how he found out, or in fact _when _he had found out, but that didn't matter. He opened his eyes again, and turned to his two curious sons. "I feel that we are celebrating too soon," he said, standing up and folding his hands behind his back as he looked down at his sons, who shared a confused gaze.

"Too soon?" Raph repeated, grinning as he sat back against the bench with his pizza slice in hand. "The bad guys were swept away in a river of raw sewage. On my watch, that makes it the _perfect _time."

Next to him, Donnie nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I have to agree. I mean, sure it was kinda hard with only the three of us against guys that strong, but hey, I'd say we kicked butt!" he laughed, sharing a 'high-three' with Raph.

However, Splinter only shook his head. "You are mistaken, my sons," he spoke, "You may have defeated them for now, but The Shredder knows I'm alive. And worse…he knows about the three of you." He turned away, folding his hands behind his back in order to hide the anxious twitching in them. "…it's my worst nightmare come true."

Upon seeing their fathers' nervousness, Raph and Donnie shared a concerned gaze, which then turned to one of realization. How could they have forgotten? Chris Bradford and that other man were under Shredder's command, so of _course _they were eventually going to hunt them down again. Or better yet, if they ever found out where they lived, they would hunt down _Splinter_. "…so, it's not over?" Donnie asked, already knowing the answer, and already dreading it.

"Oh no," Splinter alleged gravely, "…it's just beginning. And I fear that if we do not put an end to this quickly…the worst will befall us."

Raph and Donnie then looked down at the floor, frowns now replacing their once confident smiles of victory. Splinter was right; it was far too early to celebrate. Soon, The Shredder would be out on the hunt for them again, and when that day came, it would undoubtedly be a disaster.

It seemed that in the space of a few hours, things had gone from bad to worse.

Just then, Raph heard a familiar _'plink', _and he looked over to his right, to find that their youngest brother, Michelangelo, was using Donnie's laptop again, staring forlornly at the screen. He was on that 'Friend Book' page, the one that April showed him, and Chris Bradford's profile picture was on there. The red clad turtle frowned.

Mikey stared at the picture with a mixture of sadness and anger. How could he have been so _stupid_? He should have known that Chris was no good after all the questions he asked about his sensei. Something in the back of his mind had told him that something was up, but he had been to ignorant to listen to it, too blind to see the signs before it was too late…but he was just so happy to have a human friend to call his own, someone to go to when he just wanted to get away from his brothers and hang out. But instead, he had just messed everything up, for both himself, his older brothers, and his own father. Mikey tended to mess up sometimes, more so than Donnie or Raph ever did, but he had always found a way to fix it in the end. This time though, was a whole new low for the young freckled turtle…and what was worse, there was no way he could possibly fix it.

Raph watched as his little brother continued to stare sadly at the screen, and he let out a sigh. Poor little guy. All he wanted was a friend. That's _all_ he ever wanted, ever since they were kids. Leo had been that friend, but then he was taken away from them. So now Mikey was near desperate to find a way to fill the hole that Leo left behind, and after meeting Chris Bradford, he thought he had finally found someone to fulfill that role. However, even before they met that nut job, Raph had been the one to continuously doubt him, telling him that there was no chance on earth that he could make a human friend that would accept him. In the end, he was right…but even so, he felt no pride at all in watching his usual happy brother in such a state as this. Raph's frown deepened. It was time to do something about that. After making sure that no one was looking (in fact Donnie had asked to speak with Splinter alone, so they had gone off into the dojo) Raph got up and sat next to Mikey, who barely glanced at him. Raph crossed his arms, thinking about how exactly he should go about this. Should he apologize? No, what did he need to say sorry for? He had been right all along…nope, rubbing it in his face would only make it worse. Guess there's only one thing to do.

"…How ya doing, Mikey?" he decided to start off with. It was a little weak, but better than gloating.

Mikey finally looked at him with baby blue eyes full of remorse, a look that Raph was quickly starting to hate. "This is all my fault," he said sadly, "I should've never thought I could be friends with a human…" He then shook his head and buried his face into his crossed arms.

Raph unfolded his arms and despite himself, he leaned closer to Mikey so that their shoulders were touching. "Don't be so hard on yourself," he said.

At that, Mikey raised his head from his arms. "So it's not my fault?" he asked hopefully.

"Of _course _it's your fault," Raph scoffed. Then when Mikey sighed and looked back at the screen, he regretted it.

_Great, nice going, Raph_, he mentally kicked himself. He frowned again as he looked around in case anyone was listening, and then he leaned in closer and said in a loud whisper, "If you _ever_ tell Donnie or Sensei, I'll _beat_ the green off you…but…" he then reached out and patted Mikey's shell. "…you're an awesome guy."

Mikey's eyes widened as if he were saying 'Oh my god did you really just say that?' before turning back to the screen. "…Bradford didn't think so…" he mumbled.

Raph sat back again, staring at the picture of the maniac that had dared to hurt his brother, in more ways than one. What he would give just to reach into the screen and slap that smug smile clean off of that pretty bearded face of his. "Well…he's a psychotic killing machine," he said, "And you deserve _way _better friends than him." _And so much more, _he added silently, but due to pride, he would never be able to say it out loud.

Mikey looked down, his brows furrowing as he thought over what Raph had told him. Yeah, Raph was right. In fact, he _did _have a better friend than Bradford, and that was April. She was the one that actually wanted to help him make friends in the first place, and on top of that, the fact that had actually been there, the fact that she had accepted them for who and what they were from the very start, made her the best friend they could ever ask for. And if he didn't have April…he still had his older brothers to go to whenever he needed to, with right now with him and Raph being an example. And if not Raph or Donnie, then he could always go to Splinter for advice. And if not Splinter, then there was always…

"…you know what? You're right! Thanks, Raph!" Mikey piped up, finally looking up at his brother and smiling for the first time since they had gotten back from the lair.

Rap smiled back. That's what he liked to see. A frown on Mikey's face was just _wrong_. He reached out and rubbed Mikey's head affectionately, "Anytime," he said simply, and with that, he got up and made his way to the kitchen to get his pet turtle, Spike, a lettuce leaf. Once he was inside, he could hear Mikey yell something along the lines of, "Un-Friend! Haha! _Revenge!_" Raph just shook his head and smiled.

It would take more than a martial arts 'superstar' like Bradford to knock the wind out of Mikey's sails, not whilst Raph was still standing.

* * *

Later that night, everyone retreated to their bedrooms for a good night's rest, recharging themselves for the next day. Well, all apart from a certain freckled turtle, who used every single stealth skill he picked out from his 'mental ninja handbook' to sneak out of his room and into the dojo. Once there, he wasted no time in reaching the shrine, where the picture of Tang Shen and Miwa stood, as well as the old teddy bear. Bowing once in respect to his mother and sister, Mikey reached out and carefully plucked the bear from its perch, and then tiptoed his way over to sit underneath tree in the center of the dojo, placing the bear in front of him as he folded his legs. He gazed down at the bear and smiled.

"Hi, Leo," he whispered.

The bear of course didn't respond, but Mikey didn't expect it to. He knew he could hear him through the bear, so he continued. "So, today was…kinda bogus. Remember that Chris Bradford dude I told you about, and how we were best buds and stuff?" Mikey scratched the back of his head nervously, and then he sighed. "Well…Raph was right. Turned out that he was one of Shredder's baddies, and he was…just using me to get to the guys and Splinter…"

A frown formed once again on his features as he gazed down at the bear. "…I really messed up today, Leo. I mean, I do that all the time, and I hate it, but I don't know what's wrong with me," he said, putting out his hand as he began to count the number of reasons on his fingertips, "I guess it's because I don't focus all that much, but I've been trying, just like I promised you and Splinter. Or maybe it's because I think too much about pizza, video games, pranking Raph or how much I miss you –"

He stopped short, his eyes widening. He looked back at the bear, staring into his button eyes. Mikey gritted his teeth together as tears began to cascade down his freckled cheeks, dripping down and landing of the bears' head. With trembling hands, Mikey reached out and plucked the bear off the floor, hugging it tightly to his chest and burying his face into the top of his head as the tears fell. Mikey messed up a lot, he admitted that much…but his biggest mistake was letting Leo take the fall instead of him. Mikey should have died that night all those years ago, not him. He sniffed as he tightened his hold on the stuffed animal, which was as close as he would ever get to hugging his big brother.

Leo was his best friend. He was more than he could ever ask for, even better than he thought Bradford had been. He was _everything _to him, to all of them…if only he could turn back time, find a way to change everything…find a way to _fix _his mistake…

"…I-I'm sorry, Leo," he hiccuped as his tears continued to fall, "I-I'm s-so sorry…I could n-never replace you. I c-could _never _ask for a better best friend than you, big brother…"

From behind the screens of his bedroom, a father watched with an aching heart as his youngest son held what remain of his older brother to his heart. He had overheard everything, with him being both a rat _and _a ninja master. In fact, Michelangelo did this every single night without fail; he would sneak into the dojo and sit right underneath the tree and talk to the bear as if it were Leonardo himself and talk about the day's events. But this was the first time he had cried like this, and it broke the old rat's heart to watch his youngest and happiest son in such a state. Deciding that he could no longer stand this, he left his room and crossed over to where Michelangelo sat, silently crying into the bear. He knelt down beside him, and without a word, he wrapped his arms around him, holding him close to his heart, rubbing his shell comfortingly.

"Hush now, my son," he soothed, "You are not blamed. You were _never _blamed for what happened. And Leonardo will continue to love you no matter what you do…"

Still clutching the bear, Mikey buried his face into his father's chest as he continued to cry.

And within the walls of the dojo, even as two other pairs of eyes watched them from the shadows, Splinter allowed him to.

* * *

Leonardo had been to many different lairs and enemy headquarters in his short lifetime. Some were more impressive than others, and some were just downright overkill, but he had to admit, Shredder's new base in Manhattan was actually…quite inconspicuous. It was just an old church building with stain glass windows, a clock tower…pretty much like any other church building he had ever seen. Though of course, it was going to be very different once they were inside. Though on the outside, it seemed quite subtle, Leonardo knew how much Shredder seemed to love to appear as threatening and powerful as possible (as well as dramatic, which he and Karai (and at times even Tiger Claw) often joked about behind his back).

As soon as they had pulled the ship up to the docks earlier that evening, he and Tiger Claw had followed the Foot soldiers from there and across the rooftops of the city. During that time, Leo managed to get a good look at his new surroundings. It wasn't nearly as beautiful as Tokyo had been, but good _god_ was it bigger than he could have imagined. There were lights and people everywhere, not even noticing them as they traveled over the rooftops. The streets were filled with cars, buses, trucks, bikers, all sorts; it was just as busy and crowded as Tokyo. Though it was quite noisy (for he could hear police sirens and car horns wherever he went), it was still just as amazing. And the size of the buildings…they looked as big as Mt. Fuji!

New York City was incredible!

Even though he had only little time to sight-see, he was satisfied for the time being as they approached Shredder's lair. And as soon as he and Tiger Claw entered the building, Leo's hunch had been proved to be correct when they entered the main throne room. It was a long metal walkway, with a water tank underneath, and all around them were see-through glass windows that showed a decent view of the city. At the very end of the walkway and up a small staircase sat Shredder at his throne, waiting for them patiently and silently. Leo frowned as he and Tiger Claw drew closer, and they both bowed down on one knee before their master.

Shredder was the first to break the silence as he spoke, "I see your journey here went without any issues. This is where you will be staying from now on, until our mission is complete."

Leo looked off to the side with a flat expression. _I wonder when _that_ will be, _he thought to himself sarcastically.

"Karai will quickly show Leonardo around the complex," he said, standing up and walking down the steps until he was standing just in front of the two of them, "Tiger Claw, I must speak with you privately."

Tiger Claw stood up, and Leo quickly did the same and they both bowed to him in respect. "Understood, Master Shredder," said Tiger Claw. Leo sent him a questioning look, and Tiger Claw gave him the smallest of shrugs in response. They turned around just as the double doors behind them opened to reveal the young woman herself, dressed in her usual Shōzoku as she leaned against the doorway. She sent Leo a smirk. Leo smiled back. Besides the city, she was the best thing he had seen all day, with Shredder being by far the worst.

Karai cocked her head behind her. "Follow me; I'll give you the 'grand tour'. Don't get lost, got it?" she teased, and then turned to walk out again. Leo rolled his eyes with a faint smile, and after sending Tiger Claw one last look, he followed Karai out of the room, sticking close to her side. As soon as the doors shut behind them, they stopped and turned to each other. Neither of them spoke for several seconds, before Leo finally said;

"Hey."

Karai smiled. "…hey, hey."

Then the two of them broke out into muffled laughter, covering their mouths so that no one could hear them, though it helped but little. Oh, how good it was to see his best friend and sister again. Just knowing that he was going to stay here with her and Tiger Claw made this trip even remotely bearable. After a moment or two, they managed to calm down enough so that they could actually speak. "…so, you got here first? How've you been?" Leo asked first.

Karai folded her arms, shifting her weight onto one side as she smiled at her turtle brother. "Well, it's been a little quiet and boring ever since I got here, but then again, dad's been keeping me locked inside until he gives me the 'get go'. What about you, three-toes? Have a nice trip?" she asked with her usual teasing tone that Leo both loved and hated at the same time.

He rolled his eyes at that. "I have to admit…New York is pretty amazing. Not as beautiful as Tokyo, and I didn't see a single forest anywhere, but…the views are great," he said with a smile, "I read in that book you let me borrow back when I was ten that there used to be these two huge buildings that –"

"**_Hey! _**_How did __**you **__get in here?!"_

Both teens spun around, both startled and confused to find one bearded muscular man, dressed in a red Shōzoku, followed by a thinner, dark skinned man with a stylish afro were running towards them, both of them soaking wet (and neither of them smelling very nice at all) and bearing very angry faces.

Leo raised a brow. What was their problem? Who were they talking to? Were they talking to _him_? Well, due to the fact that they stopped just in front of him and were actually about to attack him, he presumed so. Leo narrowed his eyes dangerously, and just as the larger man was about to land a blow to his head, Leo grabbed his arm, twisted it enough so that he could get closer and then launched his knee into his stomach, before planting his elbow onto his back to take him to the ground. He then flipped over the man and was just about to unsheathe his katana to face off the other one, who had just taken out several knives from his pockets, but then Karai leapt between them, her own short sword pointed at the dark skinned man threateningly.

"_Enough! _All of you!" she shouted, her face creased with a scowl as she glared down the two men, "what the heck do you guys think you're _doing_?!"

Taking Leo's distraction as an opportunity, the larger man leapt up and grabbed the turtle, locking his arms around him and trapping him in his grip despite his struggles. "_HEY! _Let me _go_!" Leo cried angrily as his writhed in the mans' hold. He was a _lot_ stronger than Leo thought…and a lot _smellier_. Where had they been, the sewers?

"He's one of them, Karai!" the man snarled, tightening his hold on Leo as he his struggles became stronger, "He must have snuck away to find Shredder's lair whilst we ambushed the other three! Sneaky little bugger, thought you could get away from us, did you?!"

Karai whirled around to the man who had Leo trapped, and she glared daggers at him. "You let him go, Bradford, right _now_!" she ordered harshly, "He's Leonardo, you idiot! Tiger Claw's son!"

Bradford stared at her with an expression that would have made Leo laugh as he looked back down at the turtle trapped in his arms. "…what?" he barked, "Are you _kidding_ me?! He's a _turtle_, if you hadn't noticed!"

Karai rolled her eyes skyward. "_Obviously_. Tiger Claw took him in as his own when he was abandon – I-I mean, _lost_ as a child back in Japan years ago," she said, stumbling slightly and sending Leo an apologetic look, but by that point the damage had been done, and Leo was looking down at the ground with that look on his face again that she had come to _hate so much_, but she couldn't think about that right now as she turned her glare back to Bradford. "Shredder told you and Xever that they were going to be mutants, unless you weren't listening. Now, I'm going to give you two seconds to let him go, before I slice your arms off _myself_," she warned lowly.

After glancing one last time at the turtle, who seemed to have lost the fight in him already as he kept his eyes on the ground, Bradford finally released him with a little grunt. "My…apologies," he said reluctantly with a short bow, "my 'comrade' and I had mistaken you for another." He cast a disapproving glance at Xever, who only shrugged, shoving his knives back to wherever he had pulled them out from. He wasn't sorry in the least.

Leonardo merely turned to him and nodded once, not bothering to say another word. Karai's shoulders slumped at that. _Oh great, nice going Karai, _she scolded herself. She just had to go and say that, didn't she?

Suddenly, the doors behind them opened to reveal Shredder, his dark eyes glaring at the four of them. "What is going on out here?" he probed lowly, eying Leonardo in particular. His gaze then shot to Bradford and Xever, who had their heads lowered in respect (and slight humiliation).

"I see your mission to capture Hamato's disciples has failed," he growled, turning away from them with a swish of his black cape. "I have already sent Tiger Claw out on a solo mission. There are few…'incidents' that need attending to elsewhere. Xever, Bradford, report to me now," he ordered, and then he strode back into the room.

Bradford followed him inside, but Xever stopped just beside Leonardo. "You'd better hope the tiger doesn't like turtle soup," he said with a glare, flicking out his knife with a swift jerk of his wrist, "because I know _I _do. You'd better watch your back, turtle."

Leo only glared up at him and scoffed, completely unfazed by his so-called 'threat'. "I should say the same to you, Skinny-Legs," he growled back. Xever snorted, and then made his way inside the room as the doors shut behind them.

Losing his glare, Leo looked back at Karai, his former expression returning as they stared at each other. Neither of them said a word as the air between them suddenly grew thick with an awkward silence. Despite how close the two of them were, there were certain boundaries that were never to be crossed by either of them, such as how Leo would never share the same bed with her (for obvious reasons) and always knock before entering the bathroom. For Karai, Leo was pretty much an open book about everything, but she knew never to ask about his previous family, or whatever it was that he saw whenever he was forced to kill someone. Then there was a certain word that was never spoken between them, and that was 'abandoned'. She knew very well of the hatred the younger turtle held for his old family for what they did to him, just as Karai hated Hamato Yoshi for what he did to her mother. He had only ever really mentioned that they had left him to die…that they never cared about him…

Karai sighed, walking towards him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, holding him close. Hugs from Karai were not rare, but not so freely given either, due to the distant relationship she and her father had. It would usually be Leo who would initiate the hugging, and Karai would eventually return it. It was only because of how long she had been around Leo that she had grown more and more confident with hugging. But he made no move to return the embrace, but he did rest his head on her shoulder. She rested her cheek atop his head. "…Leo, I'm sorry," she said quietly, "it…it just slipped out, I didn't mean it, and you know I didn't…"

Against her shoulder, Leo nodded once. "…it's okay," he mumbled at last, "It happens. I forgive you." He lifted a hand and placed it on her other shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly before easing off of her so that he could look up at her, and give her smile. She smiled back, happy that all was good between them once again. It was hard to break the two of them apart, and she was glad for that. Besides her father, he was all she had. And the same went for him too.

They were best friends, brother and sister. Losing each other meant losing pretty much everything.

Karai finally released him, and instead took his large green hand in his as she began to walk with him down the dark hallway. "Come on, three-toes. I'll show you were the dojo is first, then I'll take you to your five star hotel," she joked.

Leo smirked, tightening his hold around her hand. "Whatever you say, princess," he jabbed right back, "but I'll wait for Tiger Claw to come back from his solo once we reach the rooms. I wonder what they're talking about in there."

Karai waved it off. "Probably just some mission junk that we don't wanna hear about, don't worry about it. Hey, why don't you and I have another match? See if you can actually beat me this time?"

The blue clad turtle grinned at her. "You're _so_ on!"

* * *

Shredder could hardly believe what he had just heard. Was Bradford begging for him to slice off his head where he stood? The fact that he had failed his mission to destroy Yoshi and his minions was already aggravating enough, but to then hear that his minions were…not even _human_? "…Hamato Yoshi's disciples are…_turtles_?" he barked disbelievingly, "and yet they managed to defeat you?!"

From where he and Xever were bowed before their master, Bradford tried to elaborate. "Not just turtles. _Man-sized _turtles! Trained in ninjitsu! Just like the other one out there…" he shared a look with Xever, who seemed to know exactly what he was thinking, before he turned back to Shredder. "Sensei, do you really think you can trust that turtle out there? He looks _exactly _like the turtles that we fought in the sewers. Maybe he could be deceiving us all…"

Shredder turned to them both, stepping down the stairs until he was standing just in front of their bowed forms. "No, that's not possible. I've known Leonardo since he was a child. I sent him on his first assassination mission when he was of eight years old…" he put a finger to his chin, humming to himself in thought. "…Tiger Claw did mention that he had been abandoned in the forests when he was an infant. It could be that his former family are here…"

Xever looked up, his brows creased together. "So he and those three freaks had been _raised _by Hamato? Huh. Why would any man take in freaks like them?" he scoffed.

Shredder ignored Xever for the time being as a plan suddenly sparked. "Bradford, Xever, rise," he ordered, and they did as they were asked. "Though you _did _fail in destroying those turtles that you spoke of…in a sense, it is a good thing you did. Perhaps we can use this new development to our advantage. The next time you see those turtles, report to me immediately. I know that Leonardo also has a vendetta of his own that he has to fulfill…"

Shocked, Bradford and Xever shared another look. What? Leonardo has a hatred for his own family? But he is only so young…well, they have seen worse in others his age anyways. An example of such madness, though they would never dare say it out loud, was standing right in front of them. "Sensei, are you suggesting that we have Leonardo kill Hamato's disciples?" Bradford asked.

Shredder nodded once to his student. "In due time. Eventually, they will want to take their dear long lost brother to wherever they're hiding, and when that happens…all that will be left will be to destroy Hamato Yoshi himself…

"…once and for all."

* * *

**A/N: I. FREAKING. Hate you, Shredder.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: ...I'm not saying anything, other than Be Prepared. Be VERY Prepared.**

**I OWN NOTHING.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**_"Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change."_**

**_― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein_**

* * *

When The Shredder had told him before he left his lair that this arms dealer, a Russian man named Steranko that had supposedly been an old friend of his, had sent out his finest men after him in search for one of the Foot Clan's most precious artefacts, he hadn't expected him to be serious when he said 'finest'. For three average looking humans, they were far more skilled than Tiger Claw had anticipated, and it had taken longer than he would have liked to get rid of them without making too much of a mess off the alleyway, though it did remind him t never underestimate an enemy by appearances alone. And though New York was faulty with many things, he could always depend on the police to arrive on the scene just _after_ he made his escape. They would never suspect that a tiger would have been the substance of this brawl anyhow. So it was after he snapped his shoulder back into place, he powered up his jetpack and took to the air, heading back in the direction of Shredder's lair.

As he flew, he looked down at the city landscape below him, still buzzing with life even at this early hour in the morning. He raised a brow. This city was so much like Tokyo, and then it wasn't. He mused that this was probably how Leonardo felt when they had first arrived in the city a few hours ago.

In fact, what was Leo doing right now? He sincerely hoped that he wasn't causing any trouble at the lair with Karai. He sighed to himself at the thought of it. The two of them could prove to be the perfect disaster at the worst of times…

Well, he received a surprise when he returned to the church building that everything was still very calm. After he reported back to Shredder to inform him that his mission was a success, he went in search of Leonardo. He visited the dojo first, but found it empty. Then he went to where he knew their personal sleeping quarters would be…and was once again greeted with a surprise when he flipped the lights on.

Tiger Claws' eyes widened in mild surprise at what he was seeing. He had found the two teenagers, but they were both sound asleep on the floor. Leo's head was pillowed on his crossed arms as he lay flat on his stomach, and Karai's upper half was draped over his shell, her left arm pillowing her face and her right dangling limply over the other side of Leo's shell. The floor of the room was covered in white feathers, and the pillows that they had used were discarded next to their sleeping forms. Both of them were snoring lightly, completely unaware that the old tiger was watching them, and fighting back the urge to laugh. This was an old childish habit of theirs that they seemed to have not yet grown out of. Whenever Karai stayed over for the night when Shredder was away on important business, they would tire themselves out so much that instead of using the beds, they would end up sleeping on each other. He couldn't deny that it was cute, but they were too old for this…though of course he _could_ always use it for blackmail purposes.

He shook his head and chuckled to himself. No, no that would be too cruel of him. After all, this was just something they did as siblings, and he probably would have done the same if he had any brothers or sisters. Walking inside the room, (and fighting the urge to sneeze) he bent down on one knee before the sleeping pair, and was about to attempt to wake them, but his outstretched paw stilled.

Their faces looked so at peace. He hardly saw them so relaxed, so care-free…

He really didn't want to, but Karai couldn't be seen in here with him like this. So it was with a sigh that he placed his paw on Karai's shoulder, shaking her lightly until she let out a protesting moan, swatting his paw away as she finally blinked her eyes open, squinting in the light. She sat up and let out a long yawn as she rubbed her eye, and then looked up at the tiger before her. "…hey," she greeted simply, "What time is it?"

"…it's 3 am," he replied flatly.

Karai barely reacted other than shrugging her shoulders. "Oh well," she said nonchalantly, before looking down at the turtle still sleeping soundly. Smiling softly, she patted his head softly before groggily getting to her feet, stretching until she heard bones popping in her back (making Tiger Claw's ears twitch uncomfortably at the sound) and then moving towards the door. She turned back to the tiger and smirked. "Tell three-toes that I totally won that match for me, okay?"

Tiger Claw rolled his eyes with a weary smile. "I think I can remember that," he huffed, gesturing the feathers around the room. This was going to take a lifetime to clean up, wasn't it?

Karai shrugged. "Sorry," she said, but she didn't look the least bit apologetic with that little smile of hers as she switched of the light and closed the door behind her.

Shaking his head again at the girls' antics, Tiger Claw turned back to look down at Leo. He could just let him sleep like that, but then again the air was a little nippy in here, and with him being a cold-blooded mutant, that would do him more bad than good, and Leo should have known that. Then again, that's probably why Karai decided to sleep on top of him; giving her some of her body warmth to keep him warmed up. Shrugging to himself, he set up a futon for him, and then being as careful as he could without waking him up, he slowly picked Leonardo up in his arms, holding him close to his chest as he carried him towards the futon, setting him down and then covering him with the blanket. The boy barely stirred, but he buried himself deeper into the warmth of his blankets in his sleep.

Tiger Claw smiled fondly, kneeling down and placing a paw on his head. "Once a cub, always a cub," he chuckled to himself. Though he knew Leo was growing up quickly, and he would continue to do so as the days rolled by and he faced new challenges, he wouldn't mind him staying the way he was for a little bit longer.

Just letting this moment between him and his cub last…just for a while…

* * *

_Several days later…_

Physically and mentally exhausted beyond belief, the purple clad leader, Donatello, flopped himself down on his bed, not even bothering to get underneath his blanket as he covered his eyes with his right arm, sighing heavily.

That mission could have gone so wrong in so many ways. In fact, in very nearly did. And it was all _his_ fault.

After their run in with that Baxter Stockman guy a few nights back, Donnie had realized that with only the three of them fighting against guys like him, along with an army of ninjas _and _an entire alien race, they were never going to be able to cope. Three ninja turtles against all of _them_? Chances of survival were at least 0.00003%. No way. Heck, even that Dr. Falco guy had almost beaten him, and he was _human_, with no martial arts skills whatsoever. Well, he _did _have psychic powers at the time, but even so, that was just sad.

At least Raph and Mikey had a better advantage than he did when it came to fighting; they had strong, metal weapons that they could rely on. All Donnie had was a wooden stick that kept on breaking, and he was supposed to be their _leader._ How could Raph and Mikey look up to someone like him? And Raph was older than him, which made it even more embarrassing that he would have to follow someone like him into battle. So Donnie had thought if he could build their very own fourth addition to the team, one that could fire lasers, flame throwers and was equipped with all sorts of gadgets that could aid them in battle, then they could at least have a fighting chance. In fact, he was _sure _that they would. Well, that was until he remembered that he had reversed engineered it from a Kraang droid to start off with, which had only been _after _a Kraang had decided to take over it and turn it on them instead.

Raph and Mikey could have died that night because of him, as well as countless of humans in New York. Luckily enough however, they had managed to defeat Meatalhead and destroy the mutagen before anything like that could happen, but still…it was too close a call.

There were times that Donnie would need to get things off his chest, and he would do that by either going into his lab to work it off, or go to April's place to talk it out with her because she was just_ that good _of a listener. Unfortunately, April was probably in bed by this point, and it was too late at night to go into his lab and work without waking everyone else up. He sighed heavily. He had talked to Splinter about it earlier (before the flying Bo staff incident), but there was only so much Splinter could help him with.

There was only one thing that he could possibly do, but his logical mind probably wouldn't allow him to do it. But this was just something he couldn't keep in, not this time. Sighing again as he sat up in his bed, Donnie made up his mind.

If he was going to do it, he had to do it now.

He swung his legs off his bed and stood up, heading towards his door. Silently, he crept his way out of his room and made his way to the dojo. He could already hear him whispering in there, but he had to make sure he wasn't finishing up already. Sure enough, however, he found him just as he was sitting down underneath the tree and setting the stuffed animal on the floor in front of him. Donnie's expression softened as he stood in the doorway watching him. He and Raph had seen just about everything on the night after their first clash with Chris Bradford.

It actually shook them a little to know that he still blamed himself for everything…

Shaking the thought off, he decided to make a move. Better to get it over and done with. He walked inside the dojo and stopped just beside Mikey, who didn't even notice him as he continued to whisper to the bear, something along the lines of Kraang-y Metalhead. Donnie rolled his eyes, and then he cleared his throat.

Mikey's whispering stopped instantly, and he slowly looked up to find that his tallest brother and leader was standing beside him, watching him with a small smile. Despite his slight embarrassment, Mikey smiled back. "Hey, Don," he beamed, "Whatcha doin'?"

Donnie shuffled his feet awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his head. This was so stupid. Mikey only ever did it because he thought that Leonardo's spirit lived on inside the bear so he could always watch over them…but Donnie knew better. He never really believed that there was a higher power out there in the place called heaven, but he could never tell that to Mikey. He was fragile enough as it is with him thinking that he was the reason he was trapped inside that bear, but at least it kept him sane.

Or, about as sane as _Mikey_ could ever be, that is.

"U-um…I came to, uh," he stuttered out, his cheeks turning a very dark shade of red. "…I came to ask if I could…talk to Leo too."

Mikey's baby blue eyes widened in surprise, before that surprise suddenly grew into a full-fledged freckled grin as he leapt up to his feet, and before Donnie could even react, he was pulled forward for a crushing hug as Mikey buried his face into his chest as he held him tight, nearly lifting him off the ground completely. "I knew you'd come around, dude," he whispered.

Donnie just smiled down at him, and would have patted his head if not for the fact that his arms were pinned to his sides. When Mikey finally set him down, the two of them sat down again, cross-legged in front of the stuffed bear. Mikey looked at Donnie with an expectant smile. Donnie blinked at him, and then turned to the bear, unsure of what to do or say. What could he say to a _bear_?

He licked his lips and cleared his throat. "…um…hi, Leo."

The bear said nothing of course. Donnie's expression flattened. He now felt like a complete idiot. On his left, Mikey nudged his shoulder encouragingly. "Go on, dude. Keep going, he's listening," he urged with a smile.

The purple clad turtle felt his cheeks heating up in embarrassment, but he nodded once and turned back to the bear. And then he started talking. And strangely enough, the more he talked, the lighter he felt inside. Then he moved on to different subjects, such as what he was planning on making next, and Mikey joined in with how he would spend tomorrow, and how he would come back and tell him all about it. And as the minutes passed, Donnie finally understood why Mikey would come in here and talk every night. It felt as if they really _were _talking to their older brother, like he was actually there in the room with them, even though deep down they both knew he wasn't. But the warmth was there, the same warmth they felt whenever Leo had been there back when they were younger…

…and in a sense, it felt like Leo was actually listening to them, wherever he was.

And to think, Donnie could have replaced him with a robot…

"You guys are getting pretty loud, don't you think?"

Both turtles stopped as they spun around, only to find Raphael standing right behind them with his arms crossed over his chest and a smug looking smile on his face, most likely due to having succeeded in sneaking up behind them. Both younger brothers blushed deeply. "Uh…hi, Raph," Donnie chuckled in embarrassment. Great; the follower had caught their leader talking to a stuffed bear like he was a child. This was not good for what little reputation he had. Oh no, he'd better not tell _April _about this! He quickly wracked his brain for some kind of explanation, but it only came out in incoherent blubbers.

Raph shook his head and chuckled, stopping Donnie with a large green hand on his head, patting it as he sat down between him and Mikey. "You don't have to explain," he smirked, "I heard everything. And…I get it. Sort of. And it looks like it's helping you guys out a lot, so…" he trailed off as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

Donnie and Mikey shared a look. He didn't…did he?

But he had Spike, his pet turtle, to talk to whenever he needed to get something off his chest. Maybe this time…he just wanted to talk with his big brother to. But of course, with Raph being Raph, he would never dare admit it out loud. Mikey grinned as he slung his arm around Raph's shoulder, and Donnie did the same as he chuckled. "Say no more, bro," he reassured, "If I did it, then so can you, even if it's just for this one time. Go right ahead. He's listening."

Despite himself, Raph gave them both a rare but genuine smile, and then he turned back to the bear. He reached out a hand and laid it gently on the bears' head.

He gave the animal a sure but sad smile. "…hey, Leo."

And as the three boys began to talk once more, their father and master watched them from behind the doors of his room once again. A smile tugged at his lips and he felt warmth in his heart at the sight. Though he knew that they were all growing up so quickly, and they would continue to do so as the days rolled by and they faced new challenges, Splinter wouldn't mind just letting this moment last.

Just for a little while longer.

* * *

The next night, the three turtle brothers were once again patrolling the city, leaping from rooftop to rooftop with silent grace and precision. However, there was one individual that was not so stealthy, and as he began to beatbox a tune to himself, it was starting to get on the older two turtles' nerves. This was supposed to be a stealth mission to infiltrate another Kraang opperation, which April had tipped off had been somewhere close to Central Park…and as always, their noisy brother was making it ever so slightly more difficult for them. At the front of the pack, Donatello rolled his eyes and sighed, skidding to a stop on the next building and turning to his two brothers, who stopped as soon as he did, though Mikey stumbled slightly die to not having paid much attention. He looked up at his tallest brother and grinned sheepishly as Donnie crossed his arms over his chest. "Mikey…" Donnie sighed, "What part of the notion of 'silence' eludes you?"

Mikey blinked. "…Who with the what now?"

Raphael slapped a hand over his face and groaned to himself. Donnie fought the urge to tackle him, and instead shook his head and tried again. "Mikey," he began as patient as he could, "we're supposed to be on a _stealth _mission to ambush the Kraang, meaning we have to be _quiet_, which you are _not _being with your constant beatboxing. So that needs to _change_. _Right now_. Got it?"

Shrinking into his shell slightly as his testy brother loomed over him, Mikey nodded with a nervous laugh. "Heh heh, right boss," he squeaked. Donnie nodded, his expression remaining flat as he then turned and continued onwards towards Central Park, his brothers following closely behind. Raph stopped just to give Mikey a smack over the head, and Mikey growled at his smirking brother, but chose not to retaliate in fear of upsetting Donnie again. The purple clad turtle could be just as bad as Raph sometimes in terms of unmotivated bursts of anger, especially now that he was the leader. So unless Mikey wanted his brains splattered across the rooftops, he would keep his mouth shut.

However, as they neared the entrance to Central Park, they remained unaware that there were eyes watching them from the shadows. One of them pulled out a device, and pressed a button, which triggered the device and showed a blinking red light on the screen.

With that, the troop moved on after them.

* * *

During the past few days of his stay in New York, Leonardo was surprised that he had very little, if not nothing at all, to do in this city. As a ninja and a mutant turtle, just about all of his work was done during the late hours of the night, where he would go out with that Chris Bradford chump and the long-legged creep, Xever, to take care of the more…dirty jobs of the Foot clan, jobs that Leonardo was all too familiar with, and still loathed every minute of. And even then, he was still sent out very little, and was left to instead wonder around Shredder's lair in search for something to keep him occupied. His schedule so far was to train, meditate and sleep all day, and then by night, train so more or go out on any missions. Normally, he would train in the dojo either by himself, with Tiger Claw if he was around, which surprisingly enough wasn't very often, or against any Foot ninja that were brave enough to step up to him. It was nearly pitiful that he could beat just about every single one of them. What was Shredder running here, an army or a circus?

This time, he was training against someone far more worth a challenge.

"You're bored, too?" Karai asked through the black metal mask that covered part of her face as she blocked Leo's downward slash with her short swords and gauntlets, the two of them pushing against each other to force the other backwards.

Leo nodded with a flat expression. "Yep," he sighed as he rolled along the ground to evade Karai's spinning kick, and he used his momentum to stick out his legs and spin his body in a spiral motion, tripping Karai over, but she reacted instantly by flipping back onto her feet as she faced off the turtle once more as he continued. "I mean, it's like Shredder brought me here just so he can screw with me," he growled as he and the kunoichi exchanged blows with their swords, simply going through the motions. "The only missions I get sent out on are with Bradford and Xever, who both, if he hasn't noticed, _cannot_ function together. And the stupidest thing is, he hasn't even once sent me out to find Hamato or his followers. Isn't that the whole reason he dragged us here to begin with?"

"Hm," Karai hummed in agreement as she flipped over Leo's head, planting her hands on his shoulders before using the momentum of her descent to flip and throw Leo to the ground, _hard_. He let out a grunt of pain as his shell collided with the ground, and before he could get up, Karai was already straddling on top of him with her dagger to his throat. He froze, and then sent the girl a pout. She smirked in response, taking off her metal mask. "Though I know how you feel, because he's been doing the same to me, I think he might have a good reason for keeping you back," she said, sitting down on Leo's stomach and making Leo huff out an 'oof' from her added weight. "And to be honest, they haven't been seen since their clash with those two; they've just vanished. But I've heard tell that these guys are pretty strong. They've been able to defeat over a dozen of the Foot soldiers we've sent out after them –"

"Well that's really no surprise, since half of them are hardly even a challenge anyways," Leo huffed.

Smirking in agreement, Karai continued. "Yeah, but that's beside the point. Maybe he's gonna send out one of his strongest warriors out there as a last resort or something. That means either you or Tiger Claw." She teasingly pinched his cheek. "So that means you'd better step your game up, three-toes."

Leo smacked her hand away from his cheek and grinned smugly. "Thanks, helmet-head. I'll keep that in mind when I'm kicking your ass tomorrow," he sassed, "Now…can you get off me?"

His request was answered by the handle of her knife bopping his head repeatedly. "Not until you take that helmet head thing back," she deadpanned.

Leo snickered. "What? It's the truth!"

"No it's not! I do _not _have a helmet head!"

"Oh, no, you're right. It's just a horrible reminder of your Naruto phase you put us through when you were eleven."

"_N-no_! I just liked the hair –"

"What was her name again? Was it Lady Hikari or something?"

"…Lady Hinata…"

"I _KNEW _IT!

"**_SHUT IT_**_, LEO!"_

The debate came to a halt when the sound of footsteps and the familiar metallic rattling approaching the dojo. The two quickly got up from the floor and stood side by side to attention, just as the dojo doors opened to reveal The Shredder himself, his hard glare on the two of them as he stepped closer. "…I heard a lot of commotion that did _not _sound like training in here," he growled lowly, looking at Leo in particular. "What was going on?"

"Nothing, father," Karai answered nonchalantly, "just showing Leo here who's on top of the food chain."

Leo snapped his head towards her and glared embarrassedly. Karai didn't even look at him as she smirked smugly. _Payback, three-toes_, she thought triumphantly.

Shredder, however, was not amused at all as he sharply cleared his throat, making the two teens snap their heads back up to him. "This is no _game_, Karai," he growled warningly. "Remember what you represent as heir to the Foot Clan. I do _not_ want to see this happening again. Is that clear?"

The girl nodded and lowered her head in respect, her hand clenching into a fist at her side to hide the nervous twitching. "Yes, father."

Shredder then turned to the turtle, who continued to glower up at him without signs of fear. Narrowing his eyes, he held out his hand which held a small blinking device; it was some sort of small tracking device. "I am sending you out on your first official mission, Leonardo," he said. "Hamato's disciples have been found near Central Park. I have already sent out several soldiers to take care of them, but I am sending you alone as backup should they fail."

Leo's eyes widened slightly in surprise as he took the tracker from Shredder, and then shared a look with Karai. She shrugged with a smile that said _'What did I tell you?'_ and Leo smiled softly back at her.

"Go now, Leonardo," Shredder announced as he turned his back on them, folding his hands behind his back as he made his way to the door, "Make haste, and do _not _fail me…"

He stopped just as he reached the exit, and he turned halfway to slide a glance at Leonardo. "…though I highly doubt that you will once you see them…" he said, his voice tinted ominously, before he left the room.

As the ninja master left the two of them on that note, they shared a confused look. What was that supposed to mean? And why was he sending him alone? It would be far more efficient and practical to send at least Karai or Tiger Claw with him as well. Unless this was going to be some sort of test? Well, there was only one way to find out. Leonardo walked over to the bench to retrieve his blue scarf and draped it around his neck so that the tails were behind him. "Well…I'd better get going then," he said with a smile, "Don't want to miss out on my first mission."

Karai nodded, walking over and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah. Good luck out there Leo. I'll tell Tiger Claw where you went in case you get back before he does."

Leo nodded back, bumping his forehead against hers in a sibling-like manner, before lifting his scarf over the bridge of his nose like a second mask, and then quickly making his way out of the dojo. Karai watched him leave, and although she remained cool and collected, she felt a twinge of doubt inside her.

Something was going to go down tonight. She knew it. She could hear it in Shredder's voice and see it in his cold eyes before he left the room; he knew something they didn't, and it was unnerving. Was he planning on getting Leonardo killed? No, he couldn't do that. He _wouldn't_. Though she knew very well of Shredder's dislike of Leo, and Leo's utter disgust for her father, even Shredder knew how powerful Leo was; killing him would mean losing a valuable warrior.

But there was always Tiger Claw…

With worry brewing down deep in the pit of her stomach, Karai quickly grabbed her sword, sheathing it in her belt as she put on her metal mask and setting off after Leo. She would simply follow him for now, and not intervene unless he truly needed the help.

But something told her he would.

* * *

By the time Leonardo had reached Central Park, running along the rooftops and following the blinking light of the tracker in his hand, he arrived at the entrance to find that all of the street lamps had been turned off, plunging the whole garden area in an eerie sort of darkness. Confused, Leo quirked a brow. He thought the lights were always left on in the dark. Well, it didn't matter to him; he wouldn't need the lights on anyways. After all, ninjas worked best in the dark. He looked down at the tracker screen to find that the blinking red light was in the centre of the park. Oddly enough, it was the darkest part of the park right now, with all the lights turned off that is.

Those three Hamato ninjas would probably have a good chance since it was going to be an uneven fight…but that only depended on if their numbers could match his skill.

Nodding to himself, Leo dashed into the darkened park, his feet making no sound as he hurried swiftly and silently through the grass. With a leap, he then took to the trees, jumping and bouncing from branch to branch with instinctive grace and precision, just as if he were an agile cat...and rightly so, for he had learned from the best in that regard.

No sooner had he neared his destination did he hear it; the sounds of triumphant laughter. Leo cocked his head to the side as he listened, adjusting his position on the branch he sat upon as he peered through the leaves. Though he couldn't clearly see them dude to the darkness, he could just catch a glimpse of their outlines from the light of the moon breaking through the trees. One of them he could definitely tell was taller and lankier than his other two friends. They sounded like they were only kids no older than he was. What were a bunch of humans doing still walking around at this hour…?

Wait…they couldn't be the Hamato ninjas, could they? _Seriously_?! They were just a gang of teens?! They weren't even practicing the most important skill of the ninja: silence. In fact, they were about as loud as a flock of geese. Was this some kind of _joke_? Leo fought the urge to sigh as he rolled his eyes skyward. _These_ were the guys that had managed to take down both Bradford, Xever, and over a dozen Foot Soldiers? He found that _very _hard to believe. They hadn't even sensed his presence for goodness –

"Hey…do you guys feel that?"

Leonardo froze.

He had spoken too soon, for it had appeared the smallest one out of the three had sensed him.

"Feel what?" one of them barked. He had a gruff edge to his voice when he addressed the small one, which Leo assumed meant he was the type with a short fuse. He could use that to his advantage.

The smaller one shrugged, eyeing the trees. He had big blue eyes for a human. "…I dunno. Like, someone's watching us, or something," he said with a nervous edge.

The tall one stopped as well. "…I think you're right," he said slowly, "I sense it too."

The three of them then became deathly silent as they quickly glanced around them, standing their ground. Their hands were reaching for their weapons at their sides. Leo narrowed his eyes. Looks like there was no time left. Securing the scarf around his face, Leo gathered some power into his legs as he prepared to leap.

Time to move in and take care of business.

Without warning, he leapt from his hiding place, a burst of leaves flying everywhere as he drew out a single Katana whilst still airborne, bringing it down upon the smallest one. He only had time to turn around and gasp as Leo's shadow fell upon him.

**"****_LOOK OUT!"_**

The small one was roughly pushed out of the way, and Leo's blade met the left shoulder of the gruff voiced one, who let out a shriek of pain as the blade sunk deep into his flesh. Despite himself, Leo already felt a twinge of sympathy for the unfortunate boy, but it was gone again in the next instant as he applied more pressure, sinking the blade deeper and causing the boy to let out another pained cry as he heard a sickening crack. It was strange though, because it didn't feel like he went through bone. It felt as if there was some kind of armour on his chest that was preventing him from going down any deeper.

Almost like a shell.

**_"GET OFF OF HIM!"_**

He felt a stinging pain as something solid and wooden smacked him across the face, sending him stumbling to the ground, but instead of falling, he managed to roll along the ground and set himself on his feet again, just as the taller one with the Bo staff charged him, spinning it furiously as he brought it down upon Leo. Leo sidestepped his attack, appearing behind him as he bought down his katana, but the staff wielder spun around in time to block him, and them the two of them engaged in an onslaught of hard, swift blows. For an amateur, he was surprisingly skilled. However, though Leo still couldn't see him clearly in the darkness, he could feel the rage radiating off him in waves. He narrowed his eyes. "You shouldn't be so quick to let your enemy see your emotions," he chided smugly, "it makes it easier to read your movements, even in the darkness."

He then proved his point by launching his knee into his opponents' stomach, followed by a hard head-butt that sent him sprawling backwards to the ground on his back. Before he could get up, Leo planted a foot on his chest – again, what _were_ they wearing – to keep him pinned to the ground. He raised his katana and prepared to bring it down. He heard the boy gasp in terror, but forced himself to overlook it. "It's nothing personal, trust me," he said evenly through his scarf, "I don't want to do this. It's just business."

Just as he was about to swing it down, he heard a whooshing sound of a metal chain coming his way, and he turned just in time to see a Kusarigama chain propelling towards him. He quickly unsheathed his other sword and let the chain wrap around it, and then tugging it so that the boy on the other side came flying towards him, and then he delivered a kick that sent him flying back again. He leapt off the staff wielder and made a dash for the smaller one instead, and the two engaged in a heated battle. He could see fury in the small one's eyes. "You just made a _big_ mistake, dude," he growled, "_No one_ hurts my bros!"

Leo's left eye twitched at the mention of brothers. "That really doesn't concern me, _dude_," he spat back.

Quickly getting to his feet again, though he was still slightly dizzy, Donatello looked up to find that Michelangelo was now facing off with their attacker. That left him with just enough time to get Raphael out of harm's way, and then help Mikey take him out. Not wasting any more time, Donnie hurried to where Raph lay on his side, clutching shoulder and groaning in agony. It was too dark to see the damage properly, but he knew already that it wasn't going to be pretty. The guy must have cracked his shell. "Raph, are you okay buddy?" he asked worriedly, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice as he carefully helped Raph to his feet.

Despite himself, Raph latched onto Donnie to steady himself on weak legs. "…n-no," he managed to choke out, cursing himself inwardly for stuttering, "B-but I'll live. Donnie, we've g-gotta get the lights on again..."

Donnie nodded despite his worry, and he looked back to where Mikey was still holding off their attacker. He was holding on for now, but he couldn't for much longer. He had to get to the power box and fix the wires, but after what Raph had done to them after ambushing the Kraang (and then fighting off some of the Foot again) that was going to be difficult. Grunting as he hauled Raph along with him, he made his way to the power box on the other side of the battle field and after setting Raph down again, he opened the box and set to work, his hands no longer shaking as he focused. The fight behind him sounded like Mikey was losing now, and he pushed himself to go faster, but he never worked well under pressure –

"Donnie, hurry it up!"

"_BE QUIET!" _Donnie snapped, "_I'm working as fast as I can here!"_

Raph growled angrily. Mikey was almost done for against that crazy guy. He couldn't sit around and wait for that to happen. Forcing himself to his feet and ignoring the pain in his left shoulder, he raised uninjured arm and clenched his hand into a tight fist. "Oh for the love of _Pete_!" he yelled, and before Donnie could protest, he slammed his fist on the box, causing sparks to fly. Donnie let out a yelp as he was zapped by electricity as the street lights suddenly flashed on, lighting up the space like a Christmas tree. All of them let out a cry of pain as the light nearly blinded them with its intensity, and they covered their eyes to block out the gleam.

Once Donnie's eyes adjusted, he sent Raph a glare. Raph just grinned. "Hey, the old-fashioned way actually worked this time," he chuckled.

Donnie shook his head and stood up, quickly unsheathing his Bo staff as he turned and prepared himself to go and help Mikey before –

He froze.

His eyes went wide and his staff slipped through his fingers as he stared at the one who had ambushed them.

Raph was just the same as he too fixed his eyes solely on him, his green eyes going wide with both horror and utter disbelief.

It…it couldn't be…It was impossible…there was no way he…

Standing just inches away from his opponent, Mikey's baby blue eyes widened to the size of saucers at what he saw, his nunchaku slipping from his hand. He held the blue scarf he had managed to rip off the other one's face during the battle, revealing his face to the rest of them…

He had to be dreaming…it wasn't real…this was just his mind playing tricks on him after so long of dreaming, wishing, pleading that he could change everything…

Because there was no way, no way in _hell_, that standing right in front of him, in the flesh and cold blood, with wide, ocean blue eyes that were as wide and filled with tremor as their own was…was..

"…L..Leonardo…?"


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hello again! Sorry I made you all mad about that cliffhanger, but I love to torment! hahaha! Just kidding. Anyways, here's the long awaited chapter.**

**BTW, a lot of you guys had put things in your comments that I hadn't actually thought of before, which made me think...I'm horrible at writing stories -_-;**

**I OWN NOTHING! But keep the comments coming! They're so encouraging!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**_"It'd been a long time since they'd been together, but as close as they were physically, they'd never been so far apart in every other way."_**

**_― Jennifer Faye, Snowbound with the Soldier_**

* * *

The night-time air was thick with tension as silence descended upon Central Park. Not even a whisper of wind was heard in the stillness of the night. In the centre of the empty park, the four mutant turtles were frozen where they stood, all eyes staring only at the blue clad turtle in the centre. No one moved, and no one dared to speak, lest they shatter what they were _sure _was all just a dream. It _had _to be a dream. There was no way…he just couldn't be here…

In turn, Leonardo himself found that his body wouldn't respond to his commands, nor would his voice work as the words became caught in his throat, nearly suffocating him as his wide blue eyes stared at the three turtles surrounding him. Three turtles that looked almost _exactly_ like him. Three turtles he had known since birth.

No. No, this wasn't happening. This was all some kind of illusion, a nightmare, a _trick or something_ –

But they all looked almost exactly the same as the day he had last seen them. The colours of their masks were the same, so were their striking differences in height, the tones of their green skin…_everything_ was the same_._ This was no dream. They were here. They were really here, right before his eyes, standing there unmoving, unblinking…

…just _here_.

Still in a daze, Michelangelo dared to take a single, shaking step forwards. His entire body ached from the previous battle, and his body was covered in dark bruises that discoloured his skin from the many blows he'd taken, but he didn't care. All that mattered in that single, silent moment that could be shattered by a single breath was that he had to prove to both himself and his brothers that this turtle before them was no illusion. Ever so slowly, as he took another step, he brought up his three fingered hand and reached out.

All he needed to do was touch him. Just a single touch to prove that he was real…that he wasn't just some ghost here to haunt them…

He stepped closer.

Leo still couldn't move, no matter how loud his mind screamed at him to run away, pick up his Katanas and run away and not turn back, leave this place, this city, _everything_, but he remained frozen. His eyes were fixated only on the turtle in front of him with his hand outstretched and moving closer to him, as if to simply touch him. Not to hurt him.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Mikey's hand brushed against Leo's plastron. It was a hesitant touch at first, as if he were afraid that he would break or disappear if he touched him. But after several seconds, his three fingered palm pressed firmly against his chest, directly above his rapidly beating heart. His breath hitched as he stepped closer, letting the blue scarf slip from his hand and fall soundlessly to the grass as he brought it up to gently grasp Leo's left arm. His baby blue eyes, filled with traces of tears, met startled ocean blue as he looked up at the face of…

Of…

"…Leo?" he dared to whisper again, his voice cracking.

Leo blinked, startled out of his trance at the sound of his name. He continued to gaze down at the smaller orange clad turtle, who seemed to be on the brink of breaking down into tears as he stared up at him, almost pleadingly, waiting for him to respond. His hands shaking at his sides, he turned to meet the brown and green eyed gazes of the other two, who had yet to even move from where their bodies stood frozen, their feet glued to the grass by whatever force was holding them back. He looked back down at the smaller one, and after wracking his brain, running his mental fingers through countless memories, both blissful and traumatizing, he finally forced his voice to work, uttering a single name…

"…Mikey?"

Mikey let out a little gasp, almost like a whisper. He remembered him…he actually _said his name_…

And then without warning, he rammed himself into Leonardo, locking his arms around him as he buried his face into his chest, biting down hard on his lip as he fought to restrain uncontrolled sobs, for his life-long wish had finally come true.

Leonardo, his big brother, was _alive_. And he was _here_.

Staring at the sight of his baby brother embracing what he now knew was Leonardo, their lost big brother, Donatello covered his mouth with a pair of shaking green hands as he blinked rapidly, trying to fight back the tears that threatened to spill, but failed as they began to drip down his cheeks. It wasn't possible. It just couldn't be. He couldn't be alive, after all these years. He just _couldn't_. But as his brown eyes scanned the blue clad turtle, he found that for once, he had been proven wrong.

Leonardo really was alive.

"L-Leonardo," Raphael stammered beside him, tears dripping down his own cheeks as he took a step toward the two turtles, the searing pain in his left shoulder long forgotten. "…h-how…how did…you…I…" Raph just couldn't find the words to describe how shocked he was, how _happy_ he was, and…how confused he was. He reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, and when Leo darted those familiar blue eyes to him, he nearly broke down. It had only been last night that they had been talking to what they had always thought had been what was left of their big brother, and now suddenly, as if their prayers had been answered, he was standing right there.

"How is this possible?" Donnie finally managed to choke out as he and Raph drew closer to Leonardo, who Mikey had yet to release. "How are you…how are you still alive? We saw you…it was a perfect…I don't…"

"We thought you were gone forever, Leo!" Mikey wailed in his chest, his grip tightening around him. He would never let him go again.

Mikey swore upon his life that no force on this earth would tear their big brother away from them again.

Leo looked up to the faces of Donatello – _god_, he was tall – and Raphael, who had both yet to even touch him. His three little brothers…after so long…He had only been half listening to whatever they tried to say to him, and for some reason he hadn't even heard what Michelangelo had blurted out, but something Donnie had said snapped him out of his daze.

_"How are you still alive?...It was a perfect…"_

Wait. Perfect? What did he mean by perfect? A perfect what? What was he talking about? A perfect plan perhaps –

Then it hit him. His eyes flew open as he snapped his head towards his younger brothers, his heart skipping a beat as the horrible realization came to him. Master Splinter had…he had _planned_ it?

All those years ago, back when they were only infants, barely able to fend for themselves without the protection of their father, he had actually…he _planned_ to leave him behind that night? For years, Leo had always held a deep hatred for them for never coming back for so long, thinking that they had abandoned him because he wasn't good enough to be a ninja, not good enough to be their brother. Though he remembered very little due to whatever had put him to sleep before he was attacked by those creatures, the fear and the sense of abandonment was still there, fresh in his plagued mind and heart. However, upon seeing the three of them again for the first time in years, the feeling of anguish had vanished for a moment, replaced with something close to...happiness.

But that was _only _for a moment.

Now, he felt his blood boil, his fists clenching tightly at his sides as his eyes narrowed dangerously.

Tiger Claw had been wrong all those years ago. They never loved him. They never _cared_. It was never their intention to come back for him. That's why they were so surprised, because their plan to leave him for dead and forget about him had failed. And now they were faking their relief and joy to see him again, masking their true intentions with even more lies.

Leonardo had been right all along. They _didn't _want him.

They only wanted him to _die_.

His fists clenching so hard that they shook, Leo dipped his head down, his blue eyes now rekindled with hatred once more. "…_let_…**_go_**…_of_ _me_," he whispered harshly, his voice trembling.

The cold tone in his voice caused Mikey to look up at his brother in confusion, but then he felt his blood run very cold when he saw the almost murderous look in his eyes. "…what?" he asked timidly. Even Raph felt a chill run down his spine when he heard that, and out of instinct, he slowly reached for his Sai. What was wrong with him? Wasn't he just as happy to see them as they were to see him? And…

…was that a tanto blade he'd just slipped out from his wrist wrap?

Leo ground his teeth together, an animalistic growl rumbling from his throat. "I _said_…_let…__**GO!"**_

Leo tugged himself violently out of Mikey's grip, and it was only due to Raph's quick thinking that Mikey was saved from being impaled in the face as he dragged his little brother backwards, away from Leo's knife as he slashed at them. The three turtles jumped back and stared with fear and confusion at their enraged brother, who stood guarded with his knife in his hand, snarling at them viciously. What was going on? Why was he acting this way? He could see them clearly now in the light, they weren't enemies! So why was he attacking them?

"L-Leo," Donnie stuttered, "What's going on?! Why are you doing this!?"

"Y-yeah!" Mikey squeaked, holding out his hand in a calming gesture, "We're not your enemies, Leo. We're your brothers –"

"_Never speak of us as brothers again!" _Leo bellowed, his narrowed blue eyes filled with rage. "After all these years, after what you all did, you think you can just _pretend_ you missed me?! Make me believe you actually _cared_ about me?! **_DAMN_**_**YOU**__!_" And then he lunged at them with a loud cry.

Mikey withdrew his hand as if he'd been burned, his eyes wide with utter confusion as he gazed at his brother, who in the next instant was running towards them with his knife in hand, but Mikey couldn't find the strength to move his body. Next to him, Raph grabbed his shoulder and dragged him and Donnie back so that they were behind him as Raph faced the angered blue turtle, drawing out his Sai with his good arm (the other one had gone worryingly numb) and blocking Leo's attack. "What are you talking about, Leo?!" he cried, straining to keep the surprisingly stronger turtle back with only one arm, "Of _course _we cared about you! Why would you think –?"

**_"LIAR!" _**Leo shouted, the hand holding the knife trembling with anger as he pushed against Raph, "If you ever cared about me, then why did you _leave_?! _Why didn't you ever come back_?!"

Raph's eyes widened as he let out a small gasp, staring into his enraged brothers' eyes. What…? They thought he was _dead_. They saw him get shot in the head to save Mikey. Didn't he remember any of that? His thoughts distracted him from the fist that came flying towards his face and then connected with his jaw, sending him tumbling into Donnie and Mikey and they landed on the grass in a tangle of green limbs. As they struggled to get up again, that gave Leo enough time to grab his Katanas from off the ground and loom towards them, ready to finish them off once and for all.

This was what they deserved. This was what he had wanted for so long, and now he was finally going to –

His vision suddenly began to swim before him, his head reeling and throbbing painfully as he dropped his Katanas again, putting a hand to his head as he sank to his knees. What was going on? What was that pain? It burned…and it sickened him. It was enough to bring him to his knees. He'd never felt like this before… He couldn't fight like this. He had to get up, before they could get to him first and finish him off.

Donnie was the first to untangle himself, and he saw that Leo was on his knees, holding his head in his hands as he bent forward, looking as if he were in a lot of pain. He let out a sharp gasp in realization; this must be why he was acting so violently. Something or someone must have messed with his brain before he got here…and he had a hunch that a certain alien race was behind this as well. Carefully, he stood up and slowly stepped over to him, reaching out a quivering hand. "…Leo…please. Listen to us," he pleaded quietly, his voice shaking. "Let us help you…big brother…?"

Leo slapped his hand away with a growl, jumping to his feet again as he sheathed his Katanas, for now. "_Don't! _Don't touch me!" he snarled, his teeth bared. His eyes brimmed with tears, but he refused to let them fall, not in front of them. He refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing him weak again. "You keep the hell away from me, or I'll kill you all, you understand?!" he hollered, "I _never _want to see your goddamned faces, **_ever_**_ again_!" And then he turned away, grabbing his blue scarf off the ground in one swift movement as he leapt up and disappeared into the trees, ignoring their shouts and pleas as he ran. Thick tears streaked down his cheeks as he powered across the branches, not stopping once even as he ran out of Central Park and took to the rooftops of the city.

He wanted to retch. He had to get away. He had to run away, _far _away, pretend that what he saw in the park never happened, that he was only having a nightmare, and that he would wake up back in their home in Japan, in his own bed, with his father and teacher, Tiger Claw, sleeping soundly beside him…

But he knew that he wouldn't. And as he finally slowed down and came to a stop on a rooftop a long way away from Central Park, dropping to his hands and knees as he panted heavily and watching as his thick tears that blurred his vision dripped down onto the concrete, he knew he couldn't deny it. They were real. They were really there, and he now knew the truth behind all of their lies. Unable to hold back any longer, Leo covered his face with his hands as he let himself cry.

In the space of a few minutes, Leonardo's world had fallen and crumbled around him…

* * *

"That sneaky little bugger," Karai hissed testily to herself as she ran across the rooftops, looking like some kind of lost ninja tourist as she searched for the blue clad turtle.

How on earth did she, a high ranking Foot Clan kunoichi, manage to lose _him_, a green, five-foot something talking turtle, in the middle of New York City? Did Leonardo know she was following him, and then evaded her purposefully? Or was he really that good of a ninja that she just lost him? She hoped not; there was only room for one awesome ninja in their relationship, and that was her. But apart from that, she was still concerned over the thought that Shredder could be leading him into some sort of trap, and no matter how much she tried to deny it, the fear of that being true wouldn't go away. Leo was the closest thing to a little brother that Karai would ever have, and no matter what, she couldn't lose him.

She _wouldn't _lose him. Not now, not ever.

But dear _god_ was she going to kick his ass herself when she found him. This was the first time she had really been out of the lair and into the city itself, since Shredder had kept her locked up for so long, meaning that she had no idea where Central Park was from where she was now. In fact, any minute now, Shredder would try to call her and demand to know where she was. She shivered at the thought of the punishment she would receive when he found out she left without permission –

Her eyes widened when she spotted something blue and green on a rooftop two blocks away, and she skidded to a stop. She let out a sigh of relief. Leo was there, and he seemed to be alright…apart from the fact that he was on his knees, his shoulders shaking and…

Wait…was he _crying_?

Karai's eyes widened, and without further hesitation, she leapt from building to building until she was only meters away from him. Taking off her metal mask, she ran the rest of the distance between them and knelt by his side, her eyes filled with unmasked worry. "Leo?! Leo, what's wrong? Talk to me!" she said, laying a hand on his shell and her other hand on his shoulder as she turned him as much as he could to look at him.

Leo lifted his face to his human sister, the tear streaks that stained his blue mask as evident as his shell on his back. He struggled to say anything at first, but then he finally stuttered, "…K-Karai…H-Hamato's disciples…they're…they're my…my brothers."

Karai's breath was caught in her throat as she stared wide-eyed at Leonardo. What? Hamato's disciples were mutant _turtles_? They were Leonardo's _brothers? _But how was that possible? How were they still alive? Better yet, why hadn't either of them been told beforehand about this?

Was this what Shredder meant earlier? Did he know that they were his family from the very start? Why the hell didn't he say anything?! Had he expected him to just kill them all and be done with it?! Karai shook those thoughts off for now as she focused back on Leo, who was still in tears. "You…you didn't kill them, did you?" she asked. She knew very well about the hatred the turtle held for his past family, but he really wouldn't kill them just like that…would he?

Biting his lip and squeezing his eyes shut, Leo shook his head. "N-no. I-I couldn't do it…but it wasn't because I forgave them…I'll _never_ forgive them…but…" he couldn't continue as he once again buried his face into his green hands.

Karai shook her head, and instead of pressing further she threw her arms around his shoulders, bringing him close to her chest and simply holding him close. As soon as his arms came around her waist in return, she tightened her embrace as much as she dared. She'd never seen Leonardo like this before. Sure, she had seen tears of laughter before, but this was…this was something else entirely. Leo was strong for someone his age that had gone through so much, and she had always admired him for that strength, as did Tiger Claw. He was good under pressure, and held all the fine qualities of a great future leader that Karai would be proud to follow one day. But seeing him like this, so fragile, so lost…it actually broke her heart. And though Karai never admitted being scared of anything, watching the one she called a brother break down like this…

It scared her more than she would ever admit. And even worse…it angered her. No, it _infuriated_ her that someone would do this to him.

She brought up a hand to stroke the back of his head softly, simply letting him hug her and cry into her shoulder, even though it hurt her to know that this was all she could do for him. She said nothing, for there was nothing that she could say that would make all of this go away. But in the end, she supposed that in a sense, she _was_ helping him. He needed someone right now, someone that wouldn't leave him behind and abandon him like they had.

And for now, she was all he really needed.

* * *

The moment the heavy scent of blood hit his nose, Master Splinter was on high alert.

From where he was sat beneath the tree meditating, his eyes snapped open and his head whirled around towards the dojo doors, in the direction of the main entrance. One of his sons was hurt. And from the amount of blood he could smell with his highly sensitive nose, he assumed that said wound could be fatal, and was in dire need of immediate treatment. Quickly, he stood up and made his way out of the dojo, and his eyes widened when he spotted the state of his eldest son, Raphael, as Donatello and Michelangelo gently but quickly hauled him through the turnstiles. His left shoulder was drenched in blood, some of it dripping down the front of his plastron. Some of the blood looked as if it had dried off, and the wound had simply reopened, but there was still so much of it…

Snapping himself out of his daze, Splinter hurried over to his three sons, helping them set Raphael on the bench carefully, pillowing his head on a green cushion. He was unconscious, probably due to the amount of blood he'd lost or to overexerting himself. He prayed it was the latter, but upon seeing his face so pale, he feared the worst. He hastily ordered for Michelangelo to bring him cold water and a cloth and for Donatello to bring him the first-aid kit from his lab to stitch up the wound in his shoulder. He worked quickly but calmly, even though his two sons that sat around him were anything but.

Eventually, the wound had been cleaned and sealed, and with Michelangelo's help (though his hands were shaking) he had managed to bind the wound with bandages. Splinter noticed that Raphael now had a jagged crack in his plastron which was mirrored on his carapace. That could only mean that this was inflicted by a sword. He turned to where Michelangelo and Donatello were crouching beside their unconscious brother…and he was confused and slightly miffed by the haunted look in their eyes as they stared down at him.

Mikey was holding Raph's limp left hand as tight as he dared, his own hand trembling, but if he noticed he didn't show it as he continued to stare at Raph's injured shoulder as if the wound had been inflicted by a curse or something of the sort. Donatello only stared down at his hands in dismay, picking at the wraps of his wrist. Splinter raised a worried brow. What had happened out there? What had his sons experienced or witnessed that had shaken them so? They had fought against the Foot and the Kraang a few times now, and never had they looked like this, nor had any of them returned with injuries like Raphael had. Splinter brows furrowed. Something was wrong, and he needed to find out now. Slowly, Splinter placed a clawed hand on Donnie's shoulder, which startled him out of his trance as he looked up into his father's questioning gaze. "Donatello," he began softly, "Raphael will be fine. He simply needs his rest. Now please…tell me what happened, my sons."

Donnie suddenly looked nervous, swallowing thickly as he shared a look with Mikey, whose eyes were wide with uncertainty, fear, and tears that threatened to fall. Biting down hard on his lip, Mikey shook his head and buried his face into Raph's chest, hiding his face with his arms as he sniffled and cried silently. Donnie looked down again, his hands shaking in his lap. He couldn't do this. How could he be the one to tell Splinter that…_he_ was…

Splinter laid his hand reassuringly over Donnie's shaking ones, and the young turtle looked up at his father with tear-filled brown eyes. Splinter tightened his grip ever so slightly, his eyes softening. "…Donatello…" he said simply.

Donnie sniffed, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand as he drew in a deep breath through his nose, and let it out with a shaking sigh. Finally, he turned to his master. "…Sensei…w-when we were out fighting the Kraang in Central Park, we…we were ambushed by a ninja whilst the power box was out, and Raph was slashed in the shoulder whilst protecting Mikey. W-when I managed to turn the lights back on again, w-we found out that it was…it was…" Donnie couldn't continue. He just couldn't. It was too much. But he knew he had to do; Splinter had the right to know more than anyone. After taking another breath, he turned to Splinter's concerned and confused eyes again.

"…it was Leonardo."

The old ninja master's heart missed a beat as he stared down at his second eldest, his eyes wide and full of uncertainty. The hand covering Donnie's twitched, and it took him a moment to gather his thoughts and words together again. "…what was that?" he asked, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice. "That…that cannot be true, Donatello. Your older brother is…"

Donnie shook his head, gritting his teeth as he fought back a sob. "N-no, Sensei," he stammered. "Leonardo's alive. He's here in New York, a-and I don't know how, but…he tried to _kill _us, Sensei. He tried to…" He couldn't hold it back any longer as he buried his face in his hands and cried.

Splinter stared at the ground, his wide eyes unseeing and his heart barely beating.

This…can't be. Leonardo, his eldest baby lost so long ago, was…_alive_? And in America? How had he survived? He had seen him shot before their very eyes. It just couldn't be…

And if the shot hadn't killed him, then how had he survived all these years, and then learn how to fight? Had someone rescued him that night? Had he travelled by himself for years in order to find them? Was he…?

A thought hit him in that moment, making his heart sink even further into the pit of his chest as his face grew pale, or as pale as his furred face could get. There was only one way that Leonardo could have possibly survived for this long without him. The only way that he could have been able to fight in the ways of the ninja and defeat the three of them at once…the only way he could have possibly grown to loathe them, and then seek vengeance upon them. He was raised with hatred, trained by bloodshed, and then brought here by darkness itself...

Splinter brought a hand to his head, grasping it tight as he lowered his head and squeezed his eyes shut, tears beginning to seep through his eyelids. Leonardo, his poor lost child whom he had loved so dearly as he watched him grow side by side with his younger brothers, had been taken in by The Foot Clan.

Leonardo, his innocent little boy, had been raised by The Shredder.

Opening his eyes again, he then turned back to his crying son, and he wrapped his arms tightly around him, holding him close to his chest as he stroked the back of his head soothingly. "…be still, my sons, be still," he said, his voice wavering as Michelangelo came forward, and he extended his arms to him as well as both his children sobbed into him. "We…we will find a way to resolve this. No matter what, we shall find a way to bring your brother back to us…"

"…I _swear_ it."

* * *

Tiger Claw had gotten the call from Karai only fifteen minutes ago, and already he was rushing through the halls of Shredder's lair, heading quickly in the direction of their sleeping quarters. His heart was pounding furiously against his chest as he walked briskly through the rooms. This was impossible. There was just no way they could've survived that night, not against the Kraang. Despite how weak they appeared to be with only laser guns as weapons, in their vast numbers, there was next to nothing that could save you against them. Not only that, but at the time he had three other little ones to protect…

He knew that the rat was teaching them ninjitsu, but he hadn't known for him to be a ninja master. He hadn't known he was _the _ninja master.

Everything now made so much sense. The three turtles…the amateur ninjas…the ninja master that was Shredder's greatest enemy being in New York…they were all connected. And it was the worst possible truth he could have ever discovered.

Hamato Yoshi was the rat master he had seen twelve years ago back in Japan. The three ninjas were Leonardo's brothers.

Leonardo was Hamato Yoshi's son. And now Leonardo knew.

After what felt like an eternity, Tiger Claw finally opened the door to their room, and found his young cub sitting on his futon, his blue eyes downcast as he stared at his hands. His scarf and katana blades were resting at the other side of the room near the cabinet where they kept their belongings, but they were not put away in a neat manner, which only told the old tiger just how much the boy was that he didn't even bother to put away his weapons with care. Karai, ever the loyal one, was sat beside him, her hand grasping Leo's larger one comfortingly. When Tiger Claw stepped in, Karai looked up at him, her shoulders sagging in relief. Leonardo barely moved an inch. Tiger Claw frowned as he gazed down at the young blue clad turtle. He could see from here that his son's eyes were red around the edges, and he could smell a hint of salt in the air.

Of course…Leonardo had been crying earlier. But then again, he shouldn't have been surprised. He would have been just as distraught if he were in a similar position.

Walking over and kneeling down beside where the two teenagers sat, Tiger Claw gave a Karai a knowing nod, to which Karai returned with a nod of her own. They needed to be alone right now, and Karai understood that more than anyone. This was bigger than just a simple feud between ninja masters now. She turned and gave Leo one last hug, before standing up and silently making her way out of the room, sparing one last look at the desolate turtle as she closed the door behind her.

As the young woman disappeared, Tiger Claw looked back to Leonardo, who hadn't moved at all during the ordeal. He sighed as he rested a paw on his shoulder. "…Leonardo," he began, "…look at me, my son."

Leo let out a very faint breath, and then turned his head to meet Tiger Claws' amber eyes. "…did you know?" he asked quietly, his voice cracking ever so slightly. "…did you know they were here, too?"

His eyes softening again, Tiger Claw shook his head. "No, Leonardo. I didn't. In truth…I thought they were dead on the night I had rescued you. I didn't tell you simply because…I couldn't bring myself to. You were only young, and the news would have broken your heart…" He sighed heavily as he looked away. "But now…I have seen the error of my choice. Your thinking that they would return for you eventually led you to believe that they had disowned you. And I foolishly allowed your anger to build into rage…and now, here we are."

Leo's brows creased in thought as he looked back down at his lap, reflecting on his father's words. Tiger Claw remained silent as he watched the boy ponder, before he placed both paws on Leo's shoulders and turned him to face him. "Leonardo. You must know that I had never intended for you to find out this way. I should have told you at least what I had assumed on that day, but I did not. And for that, I am truly sorry, my son," he said honestly, hoping that he would forgive him for his errors.

Leonardo said nothing for a moment as he looked into his sensei's eyes. Then to Tiger Claw's surprise, Leo shook his head a let out a breath that sounded like a chuckle as he gave him the faintest of smiles. "…Sensei…of course I forgive you. Because in the end…it doesn't really matter," he said, his smile turning into a frown. "It doesn't matter…because either way, Shredder would have brought us here to find them and kill the anyways. I still would have discovered the truth…and in the end, it'll still come down to one simple fact…they lied to me," he continued with a growl, "They left me there to die alone. And now they lie again, saying they never forgot me or how much they missed me…well, _damn them!" _he cried, pounding his fist into the ground angrily. "Damn them and their lies!"

"Leonardo, calm yourself!" Tiger Claw barked, though inside, he was very, _very _worried. He had never seen his cub so angry before, not even when he practiced his katas in the forest alone. Was…was this what he had been bottling up for so long?

No…this wasn't even the _half _of it.

"Hamato Yoshi…he was my father, my teacher…he was supposed to be kind, loving…but he lied to us about that, too. He's a killer. He took Karai's mother away from her…and he left me to die…" Leo faltered. Hot tears began to drip down his cheeks again. Tiger Claw shook his head, bringing Leonardo close to his chest and holding fast. He said nothing as Leo held him back with all the force he could muster in him, and instead he licked the top of the boys head once in an affectionate manner. The child was hurting, more than he could say, and all Tiger Claw could give him was his own strength and stay with him, reassure him just as Karai had done so before him that he wasn't going anywhere. He would never leave his young cub behind for as long as he lived.

How had things spiralled out of control in the space of only a few days?

Unbeknownst to Tiger Claw, as Leo buried his face into his father's chest, his blue eyes were ablaze with rage. He didn't care about Shredder's stupid vendetta, just like Karai. But for the first time since he had known that heartless man, he was willing follow any order he gave him from now on. Just as long as they involved killing _them_.

Leo would make them pay for what they did to him, and to Karai. He would wipe them out himself.

Every last one of them.

* * *

**A/N: Oh no...it looks like Leo's slipping. Let's hope he doesn't slip too far before Tiger Claw or his real family have a chance to save him. **

**And what plans does Shredder have in store for them now?**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hey all! Sorry for the long wait! Thank you everyone who has read and reviewed this story thus far!**

**Here we have a little 'girl-power' in this one!**

**I OWN NOTHING!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 14**

**_"Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness."_**

**_–Euripides_**

* * *

He could hear them.

Despite how hard he tried to block it all out, to focus only on his training, he could still hear them.

Leonardo was in the dojo that late afternoon, attempting to wake himself up after a long nap by simply practicing his katas against one of the punching bags at the far corner of the room. As he swung his kicks and punches as the bag, his eyes were narrowed angrily, as if he were facing a live opponent. It had already been three days since he'd met…_them _for the first time in twelve years.

When Karai managed to bring him back to Shredder's lair after he'd calmed down enough, he'd been a blank and emotionless husk almost, and he hadn't been out into the city again since. His anger had been over boiling point that night, worse than it had ever been before. But upon detecting oncoming consequences from that, Tiger Claw had decided that the two of them would meditate together more often, see to it that Leo could restrain that anger before he lost control of it completely. Leo complied without complaint, simply due to the fact that he had no wish to unleash his anger on the wrong person, like Karai or even Tiger Claw…

He had no wish to be driven only on hatred like The Shredder was.

His next meditation session with Tiger Claw was in another two hours, and so he busied himself with personal training as usual. However, he was no longer alone as three Foot Soldiers entered the dojo, talking amongst themselves before one of them noticed the blue clad turtle in the corner. It was then that they began to whisper to each other, thinking they were being discreet, but Leo could hear every word they spouted…

_"You guys know about those three ninjas that Master Shredder's after, right?"_

_"Yeah. What about 'em?"_

_"Well, I heard from one of the guys up in the higher ranks that they were just like him over there. They're all freaky mutant turtles."_

Leo's left eye twitched at that jab, and he struck his fist harder into the bag than was really necessary.

"_Whoa, are you serious?!"_

_"Yeah, that's what I thought too."_

_"So, wait…wouldn't that mean that they're related or something?"_

_"Huh?"_

_"Oh yeah, you're right! I heard that they were supposed to be brothers or something."_

Leo's eyes narrowed darkly as he added more force to his strikes. He noticed that he had begun to leave deep impressions in the bag, but he didn't care.

_"…then what's _he _doing here?"_

_"Yeah, if they're brothers, then isn't he a prisoner or a spy or something?"_

_"Nah, he's one of the Foot. Why would he be in here if he was a prisoner? Believe it or not, he's in the higher ranks with that giant tiger guy. Apparently, the cat took Leo in when he was a kid back in Japan after the other three turtles dumped him. Well, that's what I _heard_ anyways, but I don't buy it." _

_"Freaking _what_?! That ain't true, someone's making up stories."_

_"Uh, guys? I think he can hear us –"_

_"–I mean, why would a _tiger_ adopt a _turtle_? I would've eaten it."_

_"You think that's what he's planning to do?"_

_"Possibly."_

_"Guys, really, we'd better knock it off. You don't wanna tick him off. He's supposed to be one of Shredder's strongest guys; he'll kick our asses straight to New Jersey and back again if we don't shut up."_

_"Oh stop, he can't be _that _strong; I heard he couldn't even finish off the turtles after seeing them. If he can't even kill his own brothers, then –"_

Leo halted entirely in his attacks against the bag, which had actually begun to burst at the seams from how hard he'd been punching it. What was that he said? He couldn't hear the rest of his sentence for his mind had gone completely blank in a mixture of blind anger and…_shock_? Why was he shocked? Wasn't the death of his brothers what he wanted? Wasn't that his mission, his desire, to finally give them what they deserved? His thoughts were once more cut off by the sounds of hushed gasps of surprise from the ninjas behind him.

_"Whoa, dude, _really_?!"_

_"That was twisted, man!"_

_"What? Shredder needs only the best, most ruthless soldiers he can find, soldiers that aren't weak or too sentimental to finish the job. If he doesn't have the backbone to do it, then –"_

Their conversation was abruptly cut short when three knives were thrown in their direction, just inches away from the bridge of their masked noses as they sailed past them, imbedding into the wall behind them. They let out a yelp of surprise, and they turned to find the source of the knives, only to find Leonardo glaring at them from where he stood in front of the brutally damaged punching bag. They gulped nervously as his angry blue eyes stared at them, before he broke the silence.

"Next time you wanna run your mouths on something you know next to _nothing_ about…**_don't_**_._" he growled warningly as he picked up his Katanas and blue scarf from off the bench on the side, and he left the dojo without another word, leaving three stunned ninjas left alone to calm their rapidly beating hearts.

As Leo made his way back to their room, an odd thought came to him, and his brows creased in confusion. Why did he get so mad? It wasn't the insults they indirectly threw at him, but something else, something he didn't understand. It was only when they'd mentioned him killing his own kin that set him off. But _why_? He _wanted _to kill them, repay them for casting him out, and then find their rat sensei and put an end to him as well. That was his mission, his drive, his desire…

…or was it really?

The side of his head started to throb again, and he let out a frustrated hiss as he brought up his hands and rubbed his aching temples. It seemed that he was having another headache again; all of his bottled up frustration was taking its toll on him. As he entered their room and shut the door behind him, he fished through Tiger Claws' bags in search for some pills to ease the dulling pain. He found two pills and popped them into his mouth, swallowing them dry (a habit he'd 'perfected' when he was younger) and then he sighed as he let himself fall onto his futon with a long resigned breath, staring blankly at the ceiling as he waited for the pills to take effect.

He didn't understand why, but it was whenever he thought of the day he would finally be rid of them, finally be free from his past, that his head began to throb painfully. It was almost as if there was an enormous red siren blaring on repeat inside his brain, trying to tell him something, but Leo couldn't comprehend what it was, and it was starting to irritate him. He lifted his hand to his head again, trying to rub the pain away…

…and then stopped when he felt traces of a little line imbedded onto his green skin.

He was confused and quite startled for a moment, but then relaxed as he remembered what it was. It was just a scar, something he'd gotten a long time ago, but he couldn't remember when exactly. Perhaps it was on one of his first few missions with Tiger Claw…Maybe it was his scar that was bothering him? Or had he been infected by something he didn't know about until now?

Leo scoffed; now he was just worrying himself. Karai warned him about this constantly.

There was a knock on his door, and he looked up to find that Karai was letting herself in, smiling at him as she shut the door with her foot. Speak of the devil, Leo mused inwardly.

"Hey there, three-toes," she greeted as she made her way towards him. She wasn't wearing her armour this time, and was instead wearing a jet black, long-sleeved shirt with a white skull pattern on the front, and blue skinny jeans that were ripped at the knees. It appeared that she was on a day off or something, or was she just slacking off again?

Leo smiled back. "Hey," he greeted back, sitting himself up just as she made herself comfortable beside him on Tiger Claws' futon. He looked her up and down, and sent her a coy smirk. "Looking good today, aren't we Karai?" he teased, which earned him a playful swat on the back of the head as he chuckled. "I haven't seen you in a few days…did he…was he too hard on you?" he asked with a guilty edge to his voice. He knew that Karai shouldn't have gone out without permission from her father and master, but she had done so for his sake. He was glad she was there, but the price had been that he didn't see her again for another three days until now, undoubtedly due to some form of punishment Shredder had sentenced her with.

Karai darted her eyes to the side, her mouth twisted into a thoughtful pout as she picked up Tiger Claws' pillow and hugged it to her chest, looking like the punk girl at a teenage girls' slumber party. When she finally turned back to look at Leo, her eyes sparked with her usual mischief. "…no, not really," she answered nonchalantly, rocking slightly as she held the pillow and idly picking at the fluffy edges, "all he did was forbid me from going out ever again until he said so…and he made me do extra training…and he –"

"Cut the excuses, helmet-head," Leo deadpanned, earning an insulted look from Karai who was already about protest before Leo held up a hand to stop her. "I _know_ you, Karai, probably better than anyone else in this entire lair. I _know_ when you're lying. What did Shredder do to you?" he asked again, a worried frown creasing his features despite the sharpness in his voice. He knew that Shredder's punishments were cruel and unyielding depending on who you were and how much you dissatisfied him, though he himself had tactfully avoided them. He hated Shredder with a passion, but he wasn't stupid enough to not follow orders and get himself killed.

And on top of that, he knew for a fact that even though Karai was Shredder's daughter, he would sometimes treat her as if she were just another Foot soldier, and so his punishments on her, though not nearly as lethal, were still very severe. All Leo ever got from Tiger Claw was a bite in the head that was just shy of actually hurting him, in fact in the wild it was also a form of play for big cat cubs. For Karai…play wasn't even part of the deal.

The young woman finally rolled her eyes and sighed, tossing the pillow aside idly as she turned around so that her back was to the turtle. Carefully, she tugged the shirt over her head, revealing her pale, bare back. Leo couldn't stifle the gasp as he stared with wide eyes at the two symmetrical red marks marring her flesh. They were only a few days old and were slowly healing, but Leo knew that they would leave a permanent scar. He heard her let out another sigh as she craned her neck to look at him, her golden eyes rather dull now.

Leo reached out, but then drew back instantly as he looked into her eyes. "…how…how bad was it?" he asked, trying to keep his anger hidden from her as it began to bubble to the surface again. The last time Karai had been punished by Shredder, she'd been left with a black eye, and it had taken everything within him (with a little restraint from Tiger Claw) to keep him from going out there and beating that man to a pulp.

Karai only shrugged in response, her expression indifferent. "It only hurt little…" she answered. When Leo raised an impatient brow at her, she rolled her eyes again. "Okay, okay…it hurt a _lot_. But seriously, what do you expect from _The Shredder_? He's called that for a reason, and he has no qualms in showing it…even to me. But don't worry, I'll be fine. I treated them already," she huffed as she put her shirt back on again, barely able to stifle a hiss of pain as she tugged it back on. She turned around to face Leo fully, and saw that he was no longer looking at her, but had cast his stormy gaze to the side, his eyes narrowed darkly as his fists clenched in his lap.

Karai let out a breath through her nose as she gazed at him. She knew how much he worried about her, and though at times it was flattering and slightly funny, it was also a little annoying. But right now, as she looked at him, that didn't matter. Her best friend, her brother, was hurting in more ways than she could possibly count. In the space of a few hours, he'd met his old family again, and upon realizing that it was his previous father that had taken away Karai's mother, his world had been flipped upside down. For days she'd watched him go through the motions of the day, looking so lost and unsure of what to do, and bottling so much of those feelings inside him…

Karai, of course, could relate to that. She had been forced to hold her feelings back, for on the battlefield, it only hindered you and made you weak, or so her father had told her.

She reached out and gently lifted Leo's head by his chin, making him finally look up at her. Worried blue eyes met serene golden as Karai finally spoke. "…Stop worrying, Leo," she said softly, laying her hand on his cheek instead. "I'll be _fine. _You have more than enough to think about besides me…" She then offered her brother a faint smile. Leonardo had always been there for her when she needed someone…so it was her turn to return the favour.

Despite the doubt in his eyes, Leonardo smiled back as he covered her hand with his larger one. He understood that this was the only way she could say 'thanks'. "No problem," he said, and then shrugged with a playful smirk, "but what can I say? I'm a worrier. But next time…just try and stay out of trouble, okay? I don't want to see you getting anymore hurt than you are now…"

Karai smirked back, the glint back in her eyes. "What can _I _say? I'm a trouble maker," she teased, and then placed both hands on Leo's cheeks and squished them together. "And stop pouting, you'll ruin you pretty, squishy face," she laughed.

Leo's eyes flattened with slight irritation as the young kunoichi squished his face. He dared not say anything whilst in this position, otherwise he'd just make a bigger fool out of himself and fuel her delight. So instead, he managed to pry her hands off his cheeks, giving her a playful push that sent her rolling backwards onto her back with a tiny yelp of surprise before he stood up and folded his arms. "Very funny, helmet head," he taunted as she laid flat on her back on Tiger Claw's futon, "And for the record, my face is not _squishy_."

Karai didn't get up, and instead stretched out fully onto the futon like a cat, and grabbed the pillow again. "That's debatable," she countered with a yawn. "I've had a long day. I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me when you get back from your session with Tiger Claw, will you?"

Rolling his eyes with a tolerant smile, he nodded. "Will do," he said, and then made his way to the door just as she was making herself comfortable again. He stopped just before he closed the door as a thought hit him. "Hey…Karai? One more thing…"

She rolled her head to the side, looking up at him with drowsy eyes. "Hm?" she answered.

Leo smiled down at her. "…thanks. You always know just how to cheer me up."

After a moment of silence, Karai allowed herself to smile back at him, before yawing and stretching again, rolling onto her side as she began to fall asleep. "…yeah…that's what friends do, I guess…whatever…" she mumbled tiredly, before finally drifting off as Leo closed the door, leaving her alone in the silence of the room.

And as she slept, for the first time in days, she seemed utterly at peace, knowing that she'd succeeded in helping her best friend.

* * *

Life was full of unpredictable possibilities. Some were good, some were bad, but all the same, they were always unforgettable, and changed for better or worse in the very end. And for April O'Neil, this was definitely the case. She never would have thought that in the space of a few weeks, three talking mutant ninja turtles would become a normal aspect of her life. Sure, she may have been afraid of them at first, but then again, who wouldn't have been at first sight?

But then they'd actually come back for her that night after she and her father were kidnapped, risking their lives to save them both from those alien creeps who called themselves the Kraang, despite the fact that there were only three of them against dozens of Kraang, plus a giant weed monster. They could have died, but they pushed on despite the odds, for _her._ And even though they hadn't been able to save her father as well, they vowed to help her find him, no matter what it took. And it was in that instant that she loved them all. And now, she regularly visited them in their hidden sewer home, by means of permission from their father and teacher, Master Splinter, of course, forming a somewhat unbreakable bond with the family.

April had managed to get to know and connect with each of the turtles in her own way: Michelangelo was the obvious youngest of the three, and his freckled smile and bubbly personality couldn't be matched by anyone. He'd loved her instantly, and treated her like a part of their little family regardless of only having known her for a short time, but she didn't complain in the slightest. He was an open book to her on just about everything, and she was always willing to listen.

Donatello was the middle child, and surprisingly enough, he was also the leader of the three of them. He was the one who had caught her when she fell from the helicopter, something she would never forget and was eternally grateful for. She quickly discovered that he was, to be blunt, a _genius_. He'd built nearly everything in their lair that helped them survive through harshest weather and typical sewer conditions. Heck, he'd even built their very own robot, Metalhead, though in the end it hadn't worked out, but it was still amazing whilst it lasted. Donnie was a little shy around her at times, and preferred to keep to himself, but when you got him talking, there was no stopping him. He reminded her of her dad in that respect. Also, he was always there when she needed to get something off her chest, something only Donnie would understand.

Raphael, the oldest of the brothers, was a tough guy all around, as well as one to figure out. They barely talked at first, one of the reasons being that she was slightly intimidated by him due to his hot temper, but after a few days (and after seeing him talk to his pet turtle in the kitchen, which she found absolutely _adorable_) they began to get closer and closer, especially now that she was training under Master Splinter to become a Kunoichi – a female ninja – so that the next time those Kraang creeps came her way, she'd be ready for them.

Indeed, life for April, though it was strange and very dangerous, couldn't be any better with her three amazing ninja friends by her side.

Well, that was what she'd _thought_.

Two days ago, she'd gone over to the lair to visit the turtles as usual, only to find that Raphael had his left shoulder slightly bloodied and covered in bandages, and both Donatello and Michelangelo were covered in dark bruises that discoloured their skins. She shouldn't have been too worried about that; they got hurt all the time whenever they fought the bad guys. But it was more than just their wounds that worried her.

It was the hollow, lost look in their eyes, especially Mikey's, which undeniably frightened her.

When she'd asked Donnie what happened, he had taken her inside his lab so that Mikey and Raph wouldn't hear them, and he told her everything.

By the end of his tale, April had been left wide eyed, frozen, and utterly speechless.

During one of her many visits to the lair, April had gone into the dojo and noticed the teddy bear on the shrine that Splinter had made. She'd asked one of the turtles about it, but it was Mikey who had enthusiastically explained everything to her. It was what was left of their deceased older brother, Leonardo his name was, who had sacrificed himself for Mikey back when they were in japan, escaping from what they now knew was the Kraang. Leonardo had given Mikey the bear out of kindness, and in order to keep the bad dreams away when they were little, but since Mikey feared it would get worn or damaged, he decided it was best if he left it on the shrine, in memory of their brave, late brother.

One night, April had even caught him talking to the bear, and told her this was how he communicated with him wherever he was. He allowed her to introduce herself and hug the bear. She'd played along for his sake at first, but then she realized that it was just how much they loved and missed him that they did this. It both warmed and broke her heart all at once, and gave her yet another reason to love this family.

Now, however, they had realized an amazing yet bitter truth.

Leonardo was alive. But he wasn't here to reunite with them…he was here to _kill_ them. And worse still, by Splinter's assumptions, he was also trained and raised by The Shredder himself.

Donnie told her that at first, he had attacked them thinking that they were no more than normal humans, but after the lights returned, he'd been frozen just as they were. Donnie didn't know what they did or said that set him off, but it was only seconds later that he once again tried to kill them, cursing them and shouting at them that they had abandoned him, left him to die…that was _far _from the truth, but something or _someone _had made him think that.

April hadn't known what to say after that. What _could _she say? Their older brother, the child they'd all looked up to as infants, was in reality still alive, and was trying to kill them out of a cruel lie; there was nothing she could say to make it any better, or any easier to bear.

That was two days ago. Now, as she walked down the sewer paths that led to the turtles' lair, she was determined to somehow help them in any way that she could. They were her friends, and whether they liked it or not, she was going to help them.

When she entered the lair, it was unusually quiet. The pit was unoccupied, as was the kitchen. She could hear Donnie tinkering away on something in his lab as usual, but the closed doors indicated that he wanted to be left alone. She turned to where she knew the boys' bedrooms were. Donnie and Mikey's were wide open, but Raph's remained shut. April frowned at that. Since the incident at the park, training had been somewhat looked over by the distraught mutant family, leaving the brothers to drift around as they pleased. Raph had all but shut himself in his room, refusing to so much as _look_ at anybody right now, probably letting out his anger, frustration and sadness with Spike. Donnie had been in his lab all the time, working away his troubles. Master Splinter was meditating in his room, and Mikey was…

Mikey was worse. In fact, it scared April more than the others did. His grief was so bad that he refused to talk to the bear anymore. He must have thought that all this time, Leonardo was never really listening to him…and instead, ignored and hated him.

April sighed softly. Perhaps Mikey was the first person she should find. But where was he? It was still too early for them to leave the lair just yet, and the bedrooms (save for Raph's) were empty as well as the pit and the kitchen –

She heard footsteps in the dojo, and her eyes widened a fraction. Was Mikey in the dojo? But he hadn't set foot in there since…_that_ night. Setting her school bag on the bench, she made her way up the stairs and into the dojo, where she found, much to her surprise, that her hunch had been correct.

Mikey was sat underneath the dojo tree…with the bear out in front of him.

He didn't talk to it. He just stared down at it sadly, not moving an inch. The frown on his face appeared as though it was permanently engraved on his usually elated features, and the longer April watched him from shadows of the doorway, the worse she felt for him; this was _not _how Mikey, the lovable ball of joy that she had come to know and love, was supposed to act. But could she really blame him?

He must have been so heartbroken, the poor boy…

Suddenly, Mikey finally moved as he lifted up his hand and laid it softly on the bears' head. His saddened face turned into one full of determination, something that was also very rare to see on Mikey's freckled features. "…we're gonna get you back, Leo," he said, his voice ringing with resolve. "…I _promise_, brother."

In that moment, April felt like a proud mother watching her child grow into a strong young man, and she smiled as tears began to form. When it came to never giving up, Mikey was undoubtedly the champion of perseverance. He was the one to cheer everyone up in dark times, making the situation seem lighter than it really was. In fact, he'd been there to cheer April up as well, when the loss of her father had hit her hard one night; he'd stayed by her side and listened to her, never averting his attention away from her or cutting in. And with the knowledge she had of his issues with ADHD, this was very impressive.

Mikey was there for everyone. Now it was April's turn to be there for him.

Wiping away a stray tear from her eye, she stepped in the dojo and walked over to the youngest turtle, who remained unaware of her presence until she was standing right next to him. He looked up at her in mild surprise, either due to the fact that he hadn't seen her in a few days, or that he just hadn't seen her coming. "Hey, April," Mikey greeted, only smiling a little bit as he gazed up at his human friend.

April smiled, sitting down next to Mikey and crossing her legs as she looked down at the little bear sat before them. She reached out and lightly laid her hand over the one Mikey still had on the bears' head, noting how small and fragile her hand appeared to be in comparison with his. With that, April turned to Mikey, her expression firm and filled with resolve just as his had been before. "You were right before, Mikey," April said, "We _will _get Leonardo back, no matter what. And this time, I promise you that you won't be alone."

Mikey blinked, comprehension dawning on his features. "…but April…you don't have to do this," Mikey argued, "I mean, it's gonna be dangerous –"

"That never stopped me before," April interjected with a stubborn frown, and Mikey's mouth shut with an audible click. When she was sure he wasn't going to argue again, she continued, "I can _do_ this, Mikey. I'm that same weak girl you guys saved at the Kraang lab; I'm stronger than that now. And besides, if you guys are going to help _me _find my father, then I'm going to help _you _guys find your brother, and help Splinter find his son…" April then gave Mikey's larger hand a reassuring squeeze, and then sent him a smile that shone like the sun. "…you guys are here for me, so I'm gonna be there for _you_. That's what families are for, Mikey. You should know that better than me."

Mikey let out a tiny gasp, staring nonplussed at April for several moments. Then, at long last, that smile that she loved to see finally made its appearance, and before April knew what was happening, he launched himself at her and wrapped his arms tightly around her smaller frame, nuzzling his face into her shoulder as he held her. After blinking the stars from her vision, April smiled again and returned the embrace with equal force. He needed this just as much as anyone right now…

"…thanks April," Mikey sniffed as he fought to restrain the tears, "you're the best."

April laid her hand on the back of Mikey's head, stroking it lightly. "You're welcome, Mikey. That's what friends do."

"You're both gonna make Donnie cry if you keep this up."

Snapping their heads up, the two of them whirled around to find that Raphael had finally emerged from the walls of his room, leaning against the doorframe of the dojo as he smirked at the two baffled teens under the tree. His left arm was now free from the bandages, leaving the bolt shaped cracked in his plastron for all to see. April couldn't help but stare at it in both wonder and sympathy at the crack; it was in the exact shape of a lightning bolt, making it look like some kind of cool tattoo or something, but the fact that it left a deep scar on Raph's shoulder made her shiver inwardly. Imagine if he hadn't had his shell to protect him, it would have gone through bone, or worse…taken his arm clean off.

Donatello materialized beside his brother seconds later, leaning on Raph's uninjured shoulder as he smiled at the two of them inside the dojo. "Yeah, Raph's kinda right," he smirked, but his smile wasn't teasing or demeaning…it was warm. "All this mush is going to make me tear up, I swear," he pretended to sniffle, wiping off a fake tear.

Shaking her head and letting out a chuckle, April smiled at the newcomers, standing up and helping Mikey to his feet as she planted her hands on her hips. "Well, I meant what I said," she retorted with a smirk of her own, "And I'm going to stick to it. I'm with you guys 'till the end of the line. Got it?"

Raph and Donnie shared a surprised look. They'd known April for well over a month now, but they never would have thought this this girl would be so determined to help them…better yet, they never would have thought that _any _human would've even come close to _liking _them in the first place, yet here she was. She could have left them and never come back after they saved her, but she didn't. She stayed by their side, befriended them and loved them for who and what they were.

The three turtles grinned at the human girl. Whether they liked it or not, there was no stopping April O'Neil.

Raph reached out and rested a large green hand on April's head, ruffling her red hair. "Thanks, Ape," he chuckled, "You always know _juuust_ how to cheer us up."

Underneath Raph's hand, April let out a giggle. "Well, that's what I'm here for. And…if you guys want…I know a place where you guys something to eat up top, since I _know _you probably haven't eaten at all since yesterday." The boys then shared a sheepish look that told April all that she needed to know, and she rolled her eyes skyward. Though she couldn't really blame them for not eating or training at all. The week _has_ been pretty hard on them…

So it was after Mikey quickly and gently put back the teddy bear back on its rightful place on the shrine, patting it on the head one last time, he grabbed April by the hand and tugged her excitedly out of the dojo, with Raph and Donnie close behind. And as the sounds of laughter once again filled the lair, a proud father watched with a warm smile as his three sons, and the young human girl they had taken into their lives, walked out of the lair together, a new sense of hope in their hearts.

Master Splinter stole a glance at the bear on the shrine. A sad but no less hopeful smile graced his lips as he gazed at the button-eyed toy. Though he knew it would by no means be an easy feat to accomplish, Splinter had hope that his sons would bring their lost brother back to them, lead him back to where he belonged…

Lead him back to their home, and let them back into his torn, dark heart.

* * *

**A/N: You go girls! Next chapter, a run in with The Purple Dragons, Bradford, Xever...and ****_Leo_****, spurs up more trouble.**

**Looks like its time for Shredder to put his plans into motion...by dealing with the turtles ****_himself!_**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay guys! This was SOOO hard to write, but I think i did okay. Also, I won't be updating for a little while again after this, because I'll be going on holiday, and then I'll be back in college. Just a heads up!**

**Also, BIG thanks to the 101 reviews! i can't believe it's gotten that many, so thank you!**

**I OWN NOTHING!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

**_"It is better to risk saving a guilty person than to condemn an innocent one."_**

**_― Voltaire, Zadig_**

* * *

It was during his evening meditation session with his father, Tiger Claw, that a Foot soldier had been escorted from The Shredder in order to retrieve Leonardo immediately for his next mission out in the city. As the soldier left the room shortly after, the two mutants shared a puzzled look, and Leo only shrugged before standing up and preparing to leave for Shredder's throne room. A firm paw on his shoulder stopped him before he could make it through the door, and he turned around as Tiger Claw regarded his son, his stripped catlike features firm, yet his amber eyes were concerned. "Remember, my son," he said to him, "anger is self-destructive. Do not let it conquer you, Leonardo. _Wakarimasu ka?_"

Leo hesitated for a moment, contemplating his words, before nodding his head and bowing to his sensei in understanding. "_Wakarimashita," _he replied automatically, sending him a faint but sure smile before he left his father standing alone and watching him leave. Tiger Claw frowned as the boy escaped his sight and ran down the halls. Ever since this mission had begun, the cat had been seeing less and less of his son, whether it was due to Tiger Claw's own missions or Leonardo's grief. He personally deemed it unwise to leave the boy alone whilst he was in such a state, but accompanying him wasn't his decision to make; it was the Shredder's. And deep down, he felt that the longer they spent apart, the farther they would become before they barely knew each other anymore…

And yet, in the back of his mind, the old tiger couldn't help but wonder to himself…was this all planned somehow? Was Shredder's intention to show Leonardo independence…or to purposely draw the two of them away from each other? His ochre eyes narrowed at the thought. Shredder was a crafty man, and only revealed his deepest and darkest secrets with those he trusted the most, and that was seriously saying something considering his trust issues.

Just what did that man have planned for his young cub? Knowing this dangerous man, he knew it wasn't good….

* * *

When Leonardo entered the large room moments after receiving the message, Shredder was already sat upon his throne waiting for him, watching with cold, bloodshot eyes as the turtle bowed before him on one knee, awaiting his instructions and keeping his eyes on the ground. Without averting his glare from the boy, Shredder spoke, "Leonardo, tonight you are to rendezvous with Bradford and Xever at the den of The Purple Dragons. From what they have told us, they have come across the three turtles earlier this evening."

Leo looked up at that, his eyes slightly widened. This didn't go unnoticed by Shredder, and behind his metal mask, a knowing cold smirk seemed to form as he stood up from his throne and strode purposefully towards the turtle, until he was but a few inches away. "Once they tell you the whereabouts of the turtles, you will accompany both Bradford and Xever to the location. Find those turtles…and this time, do _not_ hesitate," he warned lowly. "Your relation to them means _nothing_ to me, nor should it mean anything to _you_ as a warrior and servant under the emblem of the Foot. Is that understood?"

Leo remained unaffected when Shredder had approached him, but is brows creased together with a scowl when he'd uttered that last sentence. Despite not being given any permission to do so, Leonardo stood up straight, keeping his narrowed blue eyes glaring up at the armoured man before him. "…You can be sure, Master Shredder," growled Leonardo, "that my relation to the _turtles_ means nothing to me either. They _will _be dealt with by my hand, and mine alone…but know that it's not for your personal 'victory' over Hamato Yoshi, but my _own_."

Shredder's eyes narrowed down darkly at the boy standing before him, and the air became thick with silent tension as the two of them glared each other down. If it were not for the plans he had in store for the blue clad mutant, Shredder would have already disposed of him for ever daring to address his master in such a manner. He would have thought that his experiences as a child would ensure that he feared and respected him…but the child's spirit could not be so easily shattered, not even from a killing. Such strength was admirable, as he had pondered over in the past once before. But Shredder would make sure that when all was said and done, Leonardo would know true fear by his hands.

For now however, he would have to wait until the time was right. Then they would see just how strong this boy _really_ was.

Shredder let a low growl from his throat, and with a swish of his black cape, he turned his back on the turtle. "Go now, Leonardo. Do _not_ fail me…or the consequences will be _severe_," he threatened, striding back to sit upon his throne.

Leo bit back an animalistic growl of his own, before turning on his heel and marching out of the room, simply glad to be out of that man's presence. His aura made his scaly skin crawl with disgust.

He'd wasted no time in gearing up and leaving the Shredder's fortress, but he was both surprised and slightly amused to find that when he landed on the roof opposite the Purple Dragon hideout, it was nothing but an abandoned toy factory. Well, he had to give them credit for being inconspicuous, unlike Shredder; no one would _ever _think to look for a so-called dangerous street gang in a toy factory of all places. Rolling his eyes skyward and sighing, Leo leapt the distance from the two buildings with ease and entered the hideout through the hidden door on the roof, slipping inside without a sound. From the support beams above, he could already spot Xever and Bradford just walking in from the bottom entrance, being greeted by two Purple Dragon members as they led them up the stairs to the second level of the factory, where a table littered with cards and gambling equipment stood.

Leo scoffed to himself and shook his head; what was it with humans and pointless money games like these?

The two Dragons told Xever and Bradford that their leader, Fong, would be a little while longer, for he'd stopped off at a tattoo parlor. Bradford rolled his eyes, clearly not wanting to be here any longer than he needed to be, (and despite his issues with the man, Leo couldn't help but agree with him) but Xever merely nodded in response. It was then that the smaller bearded Dragon asked them both, "Wait, wasn't there supposed to be three of you guys here tonight?"

Grinning wide enough to make Karai proud, Leo whistled loudly once, chuckling to himself when they seemed to jump slightly at the sound ringing through the air. "Up here, numbskulls," he called, and just as their heads snapped up t look for him, he leapt down to the ground, landing in a crouch just in front of Xever and Bradford. As he straightened up again, he smirked at the aghast expressions on the Dragons faces as they pulled out whatever weapons they had on them, which were merely sets of dull knives.

"It's one of the turtles!" the big one cried, "How'd he find us?!"

"Get him!" the smaller one yelled, charging at the blue clad turtle with his knife in hand.

Leo only rolled his eyes and sighed as he stepped aside nonchalantly, letting the guy go sprawling to the floor instead. "Calm down, you morons," he droned, his expression as flat as it had ever been. "I'm not one of _them_. If you've seen them before, you'd have realized that there were only _three _turtles, not four. Unless you blockheads can't count, that is."

The Dragons shared a skeptical look, and then turned to Xever and Bradford, who had been standing there the whole time simply watching the whole scene play out, and they both nodded. "Yeah, he's with us," Xever answered, "but just don't get him angry." He then grinned mockingly over at Leonardo. "You won't like him when he's angry."

Planting his hands on his hips, Leo jeered at the Brazilian man. "Hardy har har, _very _funny, Xever. Let's see if you're still laughing later on when I break those stick legs of yours later," he spat, walking over to the railings at the edge of the top floor and leaning against them with his arms folded, ignoring the cautious looks he was receiving from the Dragons. In response to his threat, Xever only huffed and smirked.

A few silent moments passed as they continued to wait, and Leo busied himself with adjusting the scarf around his neck so that it hung a little looser; it was starting to get warm in this room, and his patience was wearing thin. He sighed, and then unsheathed a single katana, deciding to busy himself with practicing a few katas. "How long is this 'Fong' guy gonna be?" Leo finally asked as he swung his blades gracefully, his tone suggesting immense boredom. For his first mission out in the city since the events of three nights ago, couldn't Shredder at least give him something that was actually worth his time and effort? Was that walking garbage can trying to test his skills or his thin line of patience with him?

From the other side watching him as Leo fought his invisible opponent, Bradford shrugged from where he leaned against the wall. "Beats me. These commoners have no shame in showing up whenever they deem it appropriate," he hissed, earning a look from Xever, which he of course ignored.

The turtle paused his katas, turning to the human and raising a non-existent brow. "Says the 'fashionably late' rich boy over there," retorted Leo. He heard Xever bark a laugh as Bradford growled at him. Leo grinned smugly in response, sheathing his katas and taking a page from the 'Book of Karai' as he taunted him yet again. "Whoa there, keep growling like a dog and you'll wind up _looking_ like one. Although, with _that_ much facial hair I honestly wouldn't be able to tell the difference."

Xever, along with the two Purple Dragons sat at the table in the middle of a game, actually laughed at that one, with Xever slapping a hand over his mouth to try and stifle it as Bradford clenched his fists together in anger, marching right up to the smaller, unfazed turtle. "You want me to smash in that face of yours, turtle?!" he shouted, raising his fist threateningly.

Before the 'fight' could ensue, the door on the bottom floor opened up to reveal a scrawny looking Purple Dragon, and Bradford backed away from Leo and took his place against the wall again as Fong walked up the stairs. He spotted Leo and stopped mid-step, lifting a brow. Fong looked to Xever, gesturing the turtle. "He with you guys?" he asked simply, and Leo found himself surprised that he wasn't freaking out like the other two did; maybe this guy was smarter for a goon than he cared to admit.

Xever nodded to the Dragon leader. "Yeah, he's with us."

Fong looked once more at Leo, who silently nodded his greeting to the human, and Fong shrugged. "Cool. We got a ninja turtle on our side," he said, and then a smug smile replaced his surprise as he turned back to the two henchmen. "And speaking of turtles, we saw the other ones you were looking for. And I'll tell you where…for a price."

For the umpteenth time that night, Leo rolled his eyes again and sighed. "What is it with you humans and money?" he muttered under his breath, casting his gaze towards the window instead. Then his eyes narrowed when he caught three large shadows illuminated on the other side. "…what the –?" he murmured…and then the realization hit him. **_"MOVE!" _**he shouted, gaining the attention of the entire room.

Leo had only seconds to dive to the floor and roll out of the way as suddenly, broken glass shattered and showered over them as three large figures burst through the large window, flipping over their heads and landing with narrowed white eyes and weapons drawn at the Purple Dragons. As Leo stood up from where he'd landed with his hands already reaching back for his swords, he froze in place as his eyes widened and the breath left his lungs with a gasp…

It was…

"Freeze, dirt-bags!" Donatello shouted at them, spinning his Bo staff threateningly as he, Raphael and Michelangelo glared them down with their own poised to attack.

Leo couldn't move for several seconds as he stared at the three of them, his heart pounding hard against his chest. What…what where _they_ doing here? How did they find this place? Had they followed him here? The thought that he could have let those three amateurs actually sneak up on him like that made his insides churn…

It was in that moment that the three turtles spotted Leonardo standing between the gang members and Shredder's goons, and they gasped as their eyes widened. "Oh my god…_Leo_?!" cried Donatello. What was Leonardo doing here? Had they known they were coming and brought him along? Or was he looking for answers from them? Well, whatever the reason for their older brother being here was, one thing was for sure; they wouldn't be leaving this place without a few broken bones…

Maybe this plan wasn't such a great one after all.

Behind his taller younger brother, Raphael's green eyes narrowed angrily as he glared hotly at Leonardo, raising his Sais higher in a defensive stance. Brother or not, they would have no choice but to fight him if he attacked them first…and he still had to repay him for what he did to his shoulder…

Leonardo snapped out of his stunned trace at Donatello's outcry, and he returned Raphael's glare with one of his own as he stood up straight, unsheathing his Katanas in one swift movement as Bradford and Xever came to stand by him, both of them grinning in smug satisfaction at the three stunned turtles before them. "…hello again, _brothers,_" Leonardo spat. "You must be suicidal to let me see your faces again."

Michelangelo's baby blue eyes were wide with confusion and a hint of fear as he stared at his big brother. This wasn't what was supposed to happen! They weren't supposed to fight like this, not again! "Leo…what the heck are you doing here with the Purple Dragons and Bradford?!" he stammered, "and…that _other_ guy?!"

On Leo's right, Xever smirked smugly. "The name is Xever," he announced, "So you don't forget, I'll write it on your shells…with _these_!" He then flicked out two knives from his belt, grinning in anticipation.

And then without warning, the gang members and the two henchmen charged the three turtles. Donnie and Mikey took out the Dragons without much hassle and then headed for Bradford and Xever. However, Raphael no longer had any interest in them, and managed to kick the largest of the Purple Dragons over the railing with ease, and he powered straight towards Leonardo instead, his Sais bared and ready to attack. With a low, animalistic growl rumbling from his chest, Leo charged the red clad turtle head on in kind as their weapons collided with a clang of metal that rang through their ears, and then hell finally broke loose in the old factory as the fight ensued.

The two estranged brothers bartered hard, swift blows with one another, neither one hitting their targets despite the ferocity of their assaults. As they fought, Leo began to feel a sense of release with every blow collided with the other angered turtle. Yes, _this_ was the release Leonardo had been looking for! This was what he wanted, to let his anger out on those who deserved it, starting with his second, hot-headed brother, the one who he was sure had hated him the most.

It was as the two turtles locked blades once more that Leo noticed Raphael's shoulder was now scarred from where his blade had pierced his flesh three nights ago, and there were two symmetrical cracks on his plastron and carapace left behind. Leo smirked coldly at the other. "Nice scar, Raphael," he mocked, "It suits you well."

Despite how hard he tried to fight it, the red clad turtle's temper seemed to snap once again. "_Shut up_!" Raph snarled at him in rage, launching a flurry of kicks and punches at Leo that missed by inches, until finally his fist connected with Leo's jaw, sending him sprawling to the floor. Raph watched as Leo flipped himself to his feet again, flicking off a trail of blood that made dripped from his bottom lip.

Drawing his hand away from his face and staring expressionlessly at the blood, Leo's gaze lifted back up to Raph. "…good one," he said, his eyes narrowing darkly as he gripped his Katanas tighter as he pointed them at his foe, crouching low and snarling as though he were an animal on the hunt for its next meal. "…but don't think I'll let you do that again."

As Raph spun his Sais and assumed a defensive stance, he felt nothing for his older brother in that moment, though deep down he knew he _should_. This wasn't supposed to be his enemy…this was his _brother_, his lost, confused older brother who he'd loved so long ago…but right now, they were anything but brothers, and if Leo had his way, he would make sure that they never walked out of here alive. Raph growled under his breath. He had to get through to him _somehow_…and if beating some sense into him was the only way, then so be it.

Raph readied himself just as Leo charged him again with a loud cry, and after taking a leap off the railings, the two of them clashed with swift, hard strikes as they fought in mid-air. And as gravity pulled them back down to the lower levels, Leo managed to grab Raph and flip them both in such a way that when they landed, it was Raphael's shell that seemed to crack upon contact with concrete. Groaning in pain, he blinked his eyes open again as a queasy vertigo came over him. Did he hit his head or something? He didn't have time to find out or even get up again as a foot planted hard on his plastron, keeping him pinned to the ground as he let out another grunt of pain. His vision cleared enough for him to find that Leonardo had his sword pointed at his throat, his glare cold and unmerciful as he stared him down. Eyes wide, Raph leaned as much away from the blade as he could, but with Leo pinning him down, he was going nowhere. "…L-Leo, you gotta listen to me," he strained to say as the blade came closer to his throat, "we're _not _your enemies! Just put the sword away and –"

"Save your breath, Raphael," Leo snapped, raising his katana as he prepared to bring it down upon him, ignoring the look of fear in his green-eyed gaze, "…It won't last."

Whenever Leonardo was about to make a kill on any mission he was sent on, his mind would always revert back to that night, back to the creatures that tried to kill him as a child. It happened all on its own accord, but it made the killing all the more easy when he saw their soulless faces instead of his victims'. This time however, he didn't see it. Instead, he only saw the turtle, shrinking in fear underneath his blade, waiting for the death he deserved…

Leo's glare faltered, his expression softening as his blade lowered slowly to his side. The look in Raphael's eyes as they met his own…they were full of fear, fear from the inevitable death that was sure to come. They reminded him of how he felt that night all those years ago…but that couldn't be right. They were the ones who abandoned him, the heartless ones, the liars…

So why couldn't Leonardo bring himself to kill him?

Without warning, the dull ache in his head suddenly arose once more, and he brought a hand to his temples as he staggered off Raph, letting out a cry of pain as he collapsed to his knees. Why was this happening again? Why _now_, when Raphael was free to strike him down? He had to get this under control and move –

Suddenly, a loud crash on their right made them turn their attention to where Bradford had smashed both Michelangelo and Donatello into a pile of wooden crates. Bradford stood up and smirked coldly at the both of them as Mikey tried to help Donnie stand, but his legs were shaking beneath him and his body was badly bruised. Mikey glared up threateningly at Bradford, which didn't seem to look right on the turtle that always smiled. Beside him, Leo could feel the rage emanating off of Raphael as he ground his teeth together, twirling his Sais in his grip as he prepared to leap after Bradford, but before he could move, several Foot Soldiers suddenly burst through the brick walls of the hideout, surrounding them all as they prepared to attack. Both Leo and Raph's eyes widened, but for entirely different reasons.

For Leo, he was wondering why on earth the Foot were here, and Raph was just shocked that _they were here_.

Donnie looked up and saw that the situation had definitely gotten out of hand. He should've known that this mission was a failure from the very start, and yet he had foolishly led his brothers into it. They had to leave, _now, _or they would all die here. "Guys, we're getting outta here! Now!" he called, unslinging himself from Mikey and dodging a sweep from Bradford's fist, responding with a solid kick to the man's face before he and Mikey took to the support beams and swung themselves across, evading flying shuriken and knives as they hurried back towards the window from whence they came. Despite himself and his overwhelming desire to stay and punch Leonardo some more, Raph forced himself to follow after his brothers, pushing past Leonardo and running along the walls, flipping off the railings before landing by their side. With Raph now accounted for, the three turtles leapt out of the window, making their escape.

His previous abnormal feelings long forgotten, Leo growled in rage as he leapt to his feet again and moved towards the window, glaring after their retreating forms. "_HEY! GET __**BACK**__ HERE!" _he bellowed into the night.

He was closely followed by Xever, who didn't look very pleased either. "Stay and fight, you cold-blooded _cowards!" _he shouted after them.

Leo curled his lip into a snarl as they watched them retreat. They were running away from him _again_. Xever was indeed right about one thing; they really _were _cowards. He didn't understand what happened before he had the chance to strike Raphael down, but he knew he wouldn't let it happen again. The next time he saw them, there would be _no_ hesitation.

No more mercy.

As they leapt from rooftop to rooftop, the three battle worn turtles tried to ignore the aggravated calls of their enemies, until Mikey suddenly skidded to a stop. Donnie and Raph turned upon noticing that Mikey had stopped running, and despite their calls for him to keep going, he wouldn't budge an inch, and instead he turned back to the Purple Dragon hideout. "We can't go! W-What about Leo?!" he cried desperately, gesturing the hideout behind them. "We have to bring him back with us! We gotta tell him the truth!"

Donnie bit down on his lip in uncertainty, his eyes filled with sympathy and remorse as he placed a hand on Mikey's shoulder. "Mikey, we can't do that right now," he said, and felt his heart ache when Mikey's shoulders slumped in dejection, but he continued. "But I promise you, we _will _get him back…eventually. Right now, we gotta get outta here before the Foot decide to come after us again. Come on!"

His baby blue eyes now gloomier than ever, Mikey nodded once, and after Donnie patted him reassuringly on the shoulder once more, the three of them took off again. But Mikey couldn't help but glance one last time at the hideout, a glimpse of blue mask tails fluttering in the distance…

* * *

The lair was utterly silent now, apart from the beeping of game machines and the whirring of Donatello's latest inventions inside the lab. The three turtles sat downcast in the pit that served as their living room, none of them speaking to one another as they sat against the bench. Donatello had his head resting against the edge of the bench, his gloomy eyes staring up at the network of pipes on the ceiling. He shifted his reddish brown gaze towards Raphael, who sat against the practice dummy with a stormy look in his eyes as he glared at the floor. Then he looked over at Michelangelo on his right, who had the bear from the dojo hugged to his chest as he stared at the floor despondently. Donnie sighed dejectedly as he watched his brothers in silence. Not only had that mission failed miserably, but they'd also lost the chance to get Leonardo to come back with them…

If only he hadn't been so stupid, and instead have just left the Purple Dragons alone in the first place. Now they had Bradford, Xever and Leonardo on their side. Last time they had barely beaten the two thugs on their own…and Leo had come so close to killing them before.

But what Donnie found interesting was that no matter how close Leo got, he could never seem to do it…

A groan from Raph on his left caught his attention, and he turned to the red clad turtle who had since stood up with his fists clenched. "Man, could that fight have been any more embarrassing?!" he snarled, giving the dummy a good punch for emphasis.

"Well, would you rather have died?" Donnie deadpanned, raising a brow at his already hot-tempered older brother as he sent him a growl. Rolling his eyes skyward, Donnie then stood up and faced his brother. "Listen Raph, I know it sucks, but if we stayed we would've never stood a chance! Purple Dragons, no problem, but against The Foot, Shredder's two henchmen and _Leonardo_ –"

"The only reason they win, Dork-a-tello," Raph interjected, jabbing a finger at Donnie's chest, "is because they're willing to fight to the finish! The only way to beat them all is to be just as ruthless as they are!"

"Raphael."

Raph and Donnie both froze, and they spun around to find that Master Splinter was walking out of the dojo, casting a sympathetic glance at his youngest son holding the bear, before returning his attention to the matter at hand. "This 'Xever' will cross lines that you won't," he continued. "This may make him dangerous, but it does not make him _strong_."

Donnie's brows creased together in thought over his Sensei's words, but before he could voice his opinion, Raph already beat him to it, as usual. "But Xever wins fights! Isn't that what matters?" he barked up at his father in protest, "And he never shows anyone _mercy, _and neither will Leo if he gets the chance!"

From the center of the pit, Mikey finally looked up at his brothers, and his expression turned from downcast to slight fear and surprise at his older brothers' somewhat harsh yet somewhat truthful declaration. But Mikey didn't want to believe that, not for one second. Hugging the bear closer out of old habit, he stood up from the bench. "But…but we can talk to him!" he argued weakly, "We can tell him everything he thinks isn't true and then he won't be –"

"Talking ain't gonna cut it, Mikey!" Raph snapped, making Mikey flinch back as the red turtles stomped towards him, his fists clenched. "He's not just gonna sit there and listen to whatever we have to say, he'll just kill us on the spot! Face it, Mikey, no matter what we do, Leo isn't gonna be on our side! He's not our brother anymore, he's the enemy! He belongs to The Shredder!"

"Raphael!" Splinter snapped, "That is enough!"

Mikey's eyes were shining now as he glared hotly at Raph, holding the bear tight enough to burst. "That's not true! He isn't that bad, I know he isn't!" he insisted, his voice cracking slightly but he paid it no mind. "There _has_ to be some good in him! I mean, what about when he was gonna kill you at the Dragon hideout? He didn't do it, did he? No matter how much he hates us he's never gonna kill us! Because…because deep down, he still loves us! And he _needs_ us to help him see that, Raph!"

Raph growled through clenched teeth. Mikey just didn't get it, did he? Why was he still clinging onto false hope? Why couldn't he just grow up and face the fact that they were never going to get him back? "Enough, Mikey!" he yelled, not noticing how Splinter was taking a step towards him. "All Leo needs from us are our dead bodies on the –"

The argument came to a stop when the sound of a phone ringing. All eyes darted down to Raph's belt, and with a roll of his eyes and a small grunt, he picked it up and answered it. "_Moshi Moshi_, Raph speaking," he droned automatically, "What's up, April?"

"_Raph, you and the guys need to come to Murakami's right now!" _April's panicked voice cried through the speakers, gaining everyone's attention now as they listened closely. "_Something bad has happened! He's gone!"_

* * *

Leonardo leaned against the water tower, his arms crossed firmly over is chest and a dark frown creasing his features as he glared down at Xever and the Purple Dragons surrounding him. This was disgusting. It was pathetic and dishonorable, and the worst part of it was that Xever _knew _that_,_ yet he didn't care. Involving innocent people into their dealings was always wrong, and Leo went to great lengths to make sure that never happened, but this time he'd failed. He'd let Xever drag him into beating up and kidnapping a _blind _man, tying him up and hanging him by a wooden beam which was all that stood between him and long drop to an untimely death. The poor man didn't deserve to be bait for a petty trap that the Foot had in store for the other turtles. Yes, Leonardo wanted them dead, but if this was what they had to do to achieve that, then he would rather save them the trouble and kill them all himself…which was sounding very tempting right about now.

Standing at the edge of the building, Xever grinned down smugly at their hostage hanging helplessly below them. And that only fueled Leo with even more anger and hatred towards that man. He was far worse than Bradford…speaking of which, where was he? He was supposed to be here already. Maybe he's trying to make a flamboyant appearance again. The thought made Leo roll his eyes.

A noise to his left caught his attention, and he turned to find the three turtles had finally made their appearance. They were hauling up a chained up trashcan onto the roof as well, which made Leo raise a brow. What were they doing? Was that some kind of secret weapon they had stashed in there?

Just as The Purple Dragons and Xever turned and saw them, Raphael made eye contact with Leonardo. He scowled up at him, his green eyes ablaze. Leo glared right back with a low, rumbling growl from his throat.

"We're here, Xever," Donatello affirmed, "Now let him go!"

Xever only smirked. "Sorry…there's been a change of plans," he grinned complacently, just as a few dozen Foot Soldiers burst from their hiding places with their weapons drawn and poised to strike. Leo leapt down from his perch on the water tower and landed in front of the soldiers, his twin Katanas drawn as he glared at the three of them. However, to his mild surprise, they seemed unfazed, and instead…they looked just as smug as Xever.

"Actually," Raphael announced, "there's been _another _change of plans!"

With a giddy grin, Michelangelo sliced off the chains with his kusarigama blade and revealed to them all what was inside the trashcan...and Leo's eyes widened and his jaw dropped comically at the sight of Chris Bradford tied up with a strip of duct tape across his mouth. Leo felt his left eye twitch as he stared incredulously at them. What? What where they trying to pull off here? They couldn't be…

"If you let our friend go," Donnie declared, folding his arms over his chest, "Then we'll let _your _friend go."

They were.

Leo sighed and shook his head, slapping a hand over his face at the sheer stupidity of what they had just done. They couldn't be serious. Were they really that dense? "…you…_idiots_," he mumbled under his breath.

Behind him, he heard Xever laugh. "Ha! He's not my friend!" he snorted. The other Turtles shared a look that clearly said '_uh oh'._

Then before Leo could stop him, Xever walked over to where Murakami hung, and with a flick of his wrist, he whipped out his knife and began cutting the rope. Leo's eyes widened. "Hey! What are you _doing_?!" he snarled, "They're here now, so let him go!"

Xever turned to him and smirked. "What do you think I'm doing?" he leered, "I'm letting him go."

Leo's breath hitched as he ground his teeth together. He had to stop him, but if he made any move towards him, he would cut the rope completely. But he couldn't just let the man die! He'd done nothing wrong! On his left, the other turtles felt the same, and so Raphael grabbed and pushed Bradford closer to the edge of the roof, much to Leo's shock. He didn't think they had the backbone to do something like this in the first place. "H-hey, we're not kidding," Donnie insisted weakly, "s-so stop, or we'll toss him!"

"Go ahead," Xever shrugged nonchalantly, turning back to cut the rope once again, "It'll save me the trouble!" Bradford's muffled angry protest went unheard by all of them.

Leo hated Xever, but he had gotten to know him well enough to know that he wasn't kidding; he was fully prepared to let that man die. Desperate now, Leo turned towards Donatello, and the two of them locked gazes for a moment. Leo knew that Donnie was the leader of their group, so he called the shots. And Leo prayed that he could understand what he was saying with his eyes. This had to stop. They had to pull Bradford over; it was the only way to save that innocent man.

Donnie was smart enough to understand that, right?

Donnie met Leo's gaze, and he was taken by surprise that there was no malice or hatred in his eyes this time. In fact, he almost looked like he was…_pleading_ with them. He was trying to tell them not to do it…It finally hit Donnie that Leo actually didn't want Murakami to die either, though he couldn't understand why. Perhaps Leonardo wasn't as heartless as they deemed he was…perhaps Mikey was right, though he would never admit that out loud. Hesitantly, Donnie finally turned back to Raph, who held Bradford by the collar of his shirt. "Uh, Raph?" he called over to him.

Glaring, Raph turned to the tied up man that he had leaning over the edge of the roof. "…aw crud," he cursed, and then tossed the man back on the roof. Leo let out a breath of relief as Xever noticed this, and stopped cutting the rope. Thank goodness that the man was safe for now.

But now it was time to end this once and for all.

"Attack!" Xever commanded, and without another word, Leo pushed his feelings aside as he and the Foot attacked.

As chaos ensued on the rooftop, Raph once again charged for Leonardo with his Sais pointed at the ready, and Leo met him halfway as his Katanas clashed against his brothers' weapons. Then the two engaged once again in a fierce battle, with Raph's strikes far more forceful than their last encounter, but that didn't faze Leo in the least. This was going to end with their deaths, one way or another. "Why the hell did you think that would work, you _idiot_?!" Leo growled at the red clad turtle, "For a team of so-called 'highly trained ninjas' that was a pretty stupid move!"

Raph's eyes were blazing with anger as he sent a kick to Leonardo's face which was blocked with the other turtle's wrist. "You should talk!" he snarled, "You're the ones who beat up and kidnapped an innocent _blind _guy!"

Leo ground his teeth together as he launched a fist into Raph's face followed by a solid kick that sent him skidding to the other side of the roof. "I never agreed to that! I don't stoop that low, which is more than I can say for the likes of you!" he retorted.

Wiping blood off his lip with an angry swipe of his thumb, Raph flipped back onto his feet, punching the lights out of a Foot soldier that tried to sneak up on him from his left before he charged Leo again. "Shut up! You're just another dirty liar like the rest of them!" he blared as his Sais met Leo's blades once again, both of them leaping up to the ledge underneath the water tower. "But what do you expect from someone raised by The _Shredder_?!"

Leo's eyes snapped wide open, staring blankly at Raph for what felt like an eternity. Finally, something snapped inside of him, and he reacted. "…**_What?!" _**he bellowed in outrage, shoving Raph with all the force he could muster against the wooden beam of the water tower, bringing his sword close to his throat. "_You actually think I was raised by that __**thing**__?! How dirty do you think I am_?!"

Raph's features creased with a mixture of fear of the sword pressing against his throat, and confusion. Leo _wasn't _raised by Shredder? Then if not by him, then who could have? Or…or had he somehow just survived completely on his own, and trained himself all these years? Was that why he hated them, because of the loneliness? Had it driven him insane, completely bent on getting revenge …and then found out about The Foot Clan, where Shredder then fueled his rage further? The thought sickened him.

Below them, Raph heard a pair of pained grunts and cries, and he craned his head so that he could see Mikey and Donnie, now slumped against each other and covered in cuts and bruises as the Foot, Bradford, now free from his bonds, and Xever closed in on them. Raph let out a gasp, his eyes going wide. "Donnie! Mikey!" he cried, straining against Leo's hold on him, but that only made the other turtle press his katana closer to his neck.

"You're not going anywhere this time, Raphael," Leo snarled, casting a glance behind him to see what had become of the other two, ignoring the Japanese curse word Raph spat at him. He watched as Xever sauntered arrogantly towards them.

"You see?" Xever jabbed at Bradford with a grin, "_that _is how you catch turtles. And next…I'll show you how to fillet them!"

Raph let out another horrified gasp. No…he was going to kill them! And he couldn't do anything but stand there and watch if Leo didn't let him go. But any move now would put him at risk of getting his own throat slit. He ground his teeth together, glaring at the one who had used to know as an older brother. "You can't let them _do _this, Leo!" he barked, hoping that would get his attention and possibly provide him with an escape, but to his dismay, Leo continued to ignore him, instead keeping his focus on what was about to happen below.

Leo's eyes narrowed as Bradford and Xever engaged in a little argument. Then his eyes drifted from them to Donatello and Michelangelo, who were slowly regaining consciousness. From where he lay next to Mikey, Donnie looked up and caught Leo's gaze once again. And Leo was both surprised and aggravated to find that they were just as how he had been before, when they were both desperate to save than old man. Donnie's weakening gaze was pleading now, begging for Leonardo to help them. Leo scowled darkly. Why should he help them? They'd done nothing for him, except leaving him to die. They deserved this more than anyone, and they knew it as well as he did. This was the only way he would be free from everything, all the pain, the anger –

_Anger_.

Leo's eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat. He remembered now…

_"…anger is self-destructive. Do not let it conquer you, Leonardo…" _

Tiger Claw was right. Leo was letting his anger take over him, and now it had gotten to the point where he'd almost forgotten himself completely. This wasn't him at all; he wasn't a heartless killer. If this continued, he would be no better than Xever or Bradford…or worse, The Shredder. They showed no compassion, no mercy to their enemies or to anyone in fact…but Leo did. Despite everything he'd been through, despite the many reasons he had to hate them…even _they_ didn't deserve to die like this.

Leo shut his eyes tightly, heaving a sigh. He couldn't do this. He just couldn't, and for reasons he didn't understand. Opening his eyes again, he turned back to Raph. "…never again, understand?" he said low enough so that Bradford and Xever below them couldn't hear. He took note of Raph's confused expression as he brought his katana away from his neck, and simply said, "Duck."

Raph raised a brow. "Duck?"

Leo brought up his katana, and Raph only had seconds to duck and let out a yelp of surprise before Leo swept his blade neatly across the wooden beams holding up the water tower. The thing gave way with a groan, and then water was pouring out of it, taking the villains below, including the Purple Dragons much to their dismay, utterly by surprise as they were swept away by the current and flying right off the edge of the roof. Leo managed to leap away before he too was carried off by the water, landing safely on the other side of the roof. He looked back up just in time to see that the rope holding the old man had finally snapped, sending him falling to his doom. Leo let out a horrified gasp, but then a streak of orange whizzed past and leapt off the edge of the building, catching the man before he could touch the ground as he suspended them only with a kusarigama chain. Leo let out a breath of relief, watching as Raphael and Donatello hurried towards the edge.

"Don't look down, Murakami-san…or, um, _listen _down," Mikey stumbled. Murakami only smiled and chuckled at the boy's antics, just glad that he wasn't going to be pavement sushi.

"Way to go, Mikey!" Donnie praised as he and Raph began to haul them both up by pulling on the chain, not stopping until they were both safely on the roof again, where they all heaved a sigh in relief and then set upon untying the old chef.

Mikey's smile suddenly dropped, and he searched the roof as he turned his head left and right. "Wait, where's Leo?" he asked. His brothers followed suit, and then they spotted him standing a few feet away from them, watching them with an even expression and his arms folded across his chest. He made no move to attack them or to retreat along with the rest of the Foot. Slowly, Mikey got to his feet and took only a few steps towards him, looking up at him with big baby blue eyes filled with confusion, and slight hope. "…why…why did you help us?" he asked quietly, "I thought…you hated us…"

"I do," Leo snapped instantly, and Mikey flinched backwards slightly. "Don't get the wrong idea; eventually I _am _going to destroy you…but not like this." He looked over to where Murakami sat next to Raphael and Donatello, who watched him with wary expressions. "…I may be an assassin, but involving innocents into our affairs _disgusts _me. I'm not like Shredders' other lackeys in that regard. I still have my honor…and…" he turned away from them then, looking down at the ground with a frown, "…someone I care about reminded me of mercy. But don't think you'll be getting it again from me. Understand? Next time, I _will _kill you." Without waiting for an answer, Leo turned and leapt off the building, running back towards Shredder's lair, and not daring to look back.

And ignoring the fact that there was no pain coming from his head anymore…

The three turtles watched him leave, and even though they had once again been threatened with death, Michelangelo was not afraid. He'd been right all along; there really was good inside of him, even if he refused to acknowledge it was there. He spared them when he had the chance to kill them, and he'd saved them from dying at the hands of the Foot.

He still cared.

He smiled sadly as he watched the retreating form of his older brother. "…no, you won't," he whispered into the winds. "…you never will, big brother."

* * *

**A/N: Could this be the start of something between the brothers, guys? Well, we shall see! **

**Well, that is if Shredder doesn't ****_kill _****them first...**


End file.
